Sparks spread across the prairie
Preface: I once thought I could live a carefree life by simply keeping to myself, but now I see my old friend, step by step, heading towards a destined tragedy. Since I can't let go, I will use these eyes that see through the ending as a lamp, and this heart that will ultimately not harden as a boat, to paddle and help you cross the undercurrent.
---
Under the meticulous care of Doctor Xue and Yan Qing, Lu Junyi's health gradually improved. Although he still couldn't wield a spear or a staff, he was able to walk and handle some simple matters. After this ordeal, his trust in Yan Qing became even stronger, and he often entrusted Yan Qing with the decisions of all matters in the mansion.
Yan Qing took the opportunity to reorganize Lu's mansion, both inside and out, to eliminate any potential hidden dangers, strengthen its defenses, and manage Daming Mansion like an iron barrel. He knew that Wu Yong had suffered setbacks in Daming Mansion and would not seek trouble again in the short term.
However, the tree wants to be still but the wind does not stop.
On this day, Yan Qing was handling miscellaneous affairs in his study when a servant who had been sent to Shandong to gather information came back exhausted with a worried look on his face.
"Brother Xiaoyi, something big happened in Shandong!"
"What's the matter?" Yan Qing put down his pen, his heart tightening.
"Song Jiang of Liangshan Marsh, under the banner of 'Doing Justice for Heaven', has gathered tens of thousands of men and successively conquered Qingzhou and Gaotangzhou! The imperial court is alarmed and has dispatched Hu Yanzhuo, the Double Whip, to lead a chain of cavalry to suppress them!"
What was coming finally came! Yan Qing took a deep breath. Liangshan's development didn't seem to have been slowed much by his earlier intervention. The fall of Qingzhou and Gaotangzhou meant that Qin Ming, Hua Rong, Chai Jin, and other heroes might have joined Liangshan. His efforts were like dropping a few stones into a torrent; while they caused ripples, they failed to change the overall situation.
"Also..." the attendant continued, "Hu Yanzhuo's linked horses are powerful, and Liangshan's initial battle is at a disadvantage. But I heard... they've already sent people to Tokyo to plot against the Golden Spear Master Xu Ning!"
Yan Qing stood up abruptly! Xu Ning! His previous anonymous letter of warning seemed to have failed to completely stop Liangshan's actions! Indeed, the goose feather armor was crucial to Xu Ning. Since Liangshan had such a plan, why would they give it up just because of a letter from an unknown source?
"Do you know who has been sent? When will they start?" Yan Qing asked anxiously.
"I don't know the details, but I heard the leaders were 'Flea on the Drum' Shi Qian and 'Golden Leopard' Tang Long."
Shi Qian! He'd actually escaped from Daming Prefecture's prison? Or had Liangshan found another way to rescue him? Yan Qing's heart sank. With that thief Shi Qian around, Xu Ning's Yanling Armor was in danger!
We must stop it! If Xu Ning is forced to join Liangshan, not only will his own fate be fraught with misfortune, but it will also fuel Liangshan's arrogance, especially the linked horses. Once they are broken by the hook-and-sickle spear, Hu Yanzhuo will be in danger, and Liangshan's prestige will be even greater!
He immediately spread out paper and ground ink, ready to write. But with his pen suspended in mid-air, he hesitated. The last anonymous letter had clearly been ineffective, and this time the situation was more urgent, requiring a more direct and effective method.
He pondered for a moment, a flicker of determination in his eyes. It seemed he had to go to Tokyo himself! With Lu Junyi in charge of the Daming Prefecture, the security was tight, so it should be alright for now. But the matter of Tokyo couldn't be delayed any longer!
He immediately went to see Lu Junyi and reported the situation in Shandong and the matter of Xu Ning to him. He only said that he needed to go to Tokyo in person to handle an urgent business and to inquire about the news, but did not specify any specific actions.
Lu Junyi completely trusted Yan Qing, and since he was not well yet, he did not want to ask any more questions. He just nodded in agreement and only told him to be careful.
Yan Qing arranged the affairs of the mansion and only took two of his most capable confidants with him. The three of them traveled light and fast on horseback, traveling day and night, straight to Tokyo Bianliang.
Along the way, Yan Qing's heart was in turmoil. He had intended to retire, but he was repeatedly drawn into the disputes of the Jianghu and the imperial court. Saving Lu Junyi was a matter of master-servant affection; saving Zhu Tong and Xu Ning was a matter of pity; stopping the Liangshan invasion was a matter of peace. This new life seemed even more arduous than the previous one.
But he couldn't just sit back and watch. Those vivid faces, those tragic endings, were like a brand etched deep within his soul. Now that God had allowed him to return, he couldn't let this journey be in vain.
A few days later, the three arrived in Tokyo. Bianliang was still bustling, bustling with activity and densely populated, as if far removed from the wars of Shandong. However, Yan Qing keenly sensed that beneath this prosperity lay a simmering undercurrent. Inspections at the city gates had become more stringent, and there was increasing talk among the public about the Liangshan bandits.
He had no time to think about anything else and immediately began to investigate Xu Ning's recent situation and the movements of the Liangshan people.
Through the Lu family's business connections and underworld connections in the capital, he quickly learned that Xu Ning had indeed been feeling uneasy recently, rumored to be experiencing unusual movements at home, though they hadn't publicly announced them. And as expected, Shi Qian and Tang Long had appeared in the city, seemingly scouting for an opportunity to strike.
Yan Qing breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed his previous anonymous letter hadn't been completely ineffective; it had at least alerted Xu Ning. But now that Shi Qian had arrived, the action would only be taken in the next few days.
He had to get the Yanling Armor before Shi Qian did! Or, he had to have Xu Ning move it to a completely safe place.
Going directly to see Xu Ning still carried risks. As the instructor of the Golden Spear Class, Xu Ning held a special position. A quack of unknown origin would be hard to trust if he rashly visited him. If he was mistaken for a Liangshan accomplice, it would be self-defeating.
After much deliberation, Yan Qing decided to take a risk. He wanted to give Xu Ning a final warning and offer him a "safe" option in a way that Xu Ning would not be able to ignore.
It was a dark, windy night. All around Xu Ning's residence was silent. A dark figure, like a civet cat, scaled the high wall and silently crept into Xu Ning's study. It was Yan Qing.
The study was deserted. Yan Qing's eyes swept across the room, instantly locking onto a brocade box hanging on the wall. He stepped forward, gently opening the lid, and saw within, indeed, a set of golden goose-feather armor, its dark sheen shimmering in the faint moonlight.
He did not take the armor away, but instead took out a small silver bladder from his bosom - this was his unique mark of Yan Qing - and gently placed it on the goose feather armor. At the same time, he placed a long-written note under the silver bladder.
The note contained only a few words: "Liangshan Shiqian intends to steal the armor, and Tang Long will soon arrive. The armor is in danger. Quickly transfer it to the care of Elder Zhiqing at Daxiangguo Temple for safety. I don't know the full name."
Elder Zhiqing of Daxiangguo Temple was a highly accomplished monk with a long-standing ties to Lu Junyi. If he could deposit the armor with him, even Liangshan wouldn't dare to attack him. This was the most reliable solution Yan Qing could come up with for Xu Ning.
After doing all this, Yan Qing left without any reluctance and quickly retreated the same way he came, disappearing into the night.
The next morning, Xu Ning came to the study and prepared to take out the armor to wipe it (because he was alert, he checked it frequently in recent days), and he suddenly found the silver gall and the note in the brocade box!
He was horrified! Although he didn't recognize this Silver Gallbladder, the fact that this intruder had been able to place something on the armor he cherished like his life without anyone noticing was truly astonishing! Looking at the contents of the note, it specifically named the Liangshan bandits, even specifying the follow-up steps and methods of protection...
Xu Ning held the note, his hands trembling slightly. He recalled the anonymous letter from a few days ago, and then looked at the mysterious and unpredictable means before him... The person who left the letter was a friend, not an enemy! And his power was enormous!
It is better to believe it than not to believe it! Xu Ning no longer hesitated and immediately took off the goose feather armor, wrapped it carefully, and without caring about his official status, he drove directly to Daxiangguo Temple to ask to see Elder Zhiqing.
When Elder Zhiqing heard the reason and saw that it was Yan Qing from Lu Junyi's mansion who was secretly making the connection (Xu Ning mentioned it vaguely), he readily agreed and put the armor into a secret room in the temple for safekeeping, telling others that it was just an ordinary item deposited by pilgrims.
That night, Shi Qian sneaked into Xu's house, groped his way to the study, found the brocade box, opened it, and found it was empty!
Shi Qian was stunned! He had clearly seen the armor hanging in the room when he scouted the place two days ago. How could it have disappeared? He searched through all the boxes and cabinets in Xu's house for half the night, but found nothing and had to return home disappointed.
Tang Long, who was waiting outside, was stunned to see Shi Qian return empty-handed and to learn that the armor was missing. Without the Yanling armor, how could he trick Xu Ning into coming up the mountain? His plan had completely failed!
The two men were heartbroken and had to leave Tokyo in disgrace and return to Liangshan to report.
Yan Qing secretly learned that Xu Ning had already moved the armor, and that Shi Qian and Tang Long had returned empty-handed. He felt relieved. Xu Ning's fate had finally been forcibly reversed by him.
However, he felt no sense of relief. Without Xu Ning and the ability to break the linked horses, Liangshan's war with Hu Yanzhuo was bound to reach a stalemate, and they might even suffer a loss. But how long could this stalemate last? Would Liangshan seek other solutions?
More importantly, his trip to Tokyo was quite significant, and it might have already attracted the attention of certain people. Wu Yong, having suffered a series of setbacks, must have guessed that he was secretly obstructing his actions. The subsequent retaliation would probably be even more severe.
He stood on the bank of the Bian River, looking at the boats passing through the river. He did not feel much joy in his heart, but was instead filled with hidden worries about the future.
In this chaotic world, how much can he change on his own?
He didn't know the answer. He only knew that as long as he could move and think, he would continue to do what he thought he should do.
Every person saved is a person saved; every journey protected is a journey protected.
As for the final outcome, I just want to have a clear conscience.
---
End of Chapter 13
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
