Chapter 326
After listening to He Sheng’s words, General Yang’s expression changed slightly. He was not worried about Yang Xu being taken away by He Nuan, but he was worried about Zhan Feiyu, who had left with Zhu Xiao’s group and subsequently went missing.
“You don’t need to worry too much. That girl Xiao Yu is very clever. She’ll surely be blessed by good fortune,” Qiu Zongxi comforted his old friend. Seeing He Sheng and his men leave in a hurry, he continued, “Although Zhu Xiao isn’t a good person, the fact that he let Xiao Xu leave at Aozi Pass shows he had no intention of killing. Xiao Yu is likely safe too.”
Zhu Xiao had over a hundred subordinates with him at the time. If he had intended to kill them, Yang Xu and Zhan Feiyu would have perished on the spot. There would have been no need for him to take Zhan Feiyu away.
With a sigh, General Yang sat down in his chair, a wry smile on his face. “In the end, it was Xiao Yu who saved Yang Xu. The younger generation is truly formidable.”
“Haha, our hair and beards have all turned white. We’re old now, how many more years do we have? The world will eventually belong to these youngsters,” Qiu Zongxi laughed heartily. New talents emerge in every generation, each shining for centuries. They were indeed getting old.
With Yang Xu and Zhan Feiyu’s safety temporarily assured, General Yang had to temporarily shoulder his duty as a parent official, comforting the citizens of the city, especially those who had died or been injured defending the city walls.
As for Magistrate Zhu, who had disappeared to an unknown location, General Yang was too lazy to send anyone to pursue him. Where could Magistrate Zhu possibly escape to within the territory of the Great Qing Dynasty?
As for the captured barbarians, they were temporarily locked up in the county yamen’s prison, guarded by General Liu. The injured barbarians were also given basic medical treatment; as long as they didn’t die, it was sufficient.
On the other side, the men Lin Jiang had sent out were pursuing the direction He Nuan had left, but they had underestimated He Nuan’s ability to hide. By dawn, they still hadn’t found any trace of her.
“Who goes there?” The sound of hooves approached. Seeing the group galloping towards them, Lin Jiang immediately reined in his horse, his expression wary.
After Xiangwu County was secured, Lin Jiang, ignoring his fatigue, hastily bandaged his wounds and led his men out of Xiangwu County, intending to find He Nuan and Yang Xu.
Upon seeing the group approaching, Lin Jiang dismounted and knelt on one knee, begging for forgiveness. “General, your subordinate has failed in his duty.”
“Rise,” Yang Shoucheng dismounted and looked at the injured Lin Jiang and his subordinates. Despite his worry about Yang Xu’s whereabouts, he personally helped them up. “How is Xiangwu County?”
Yang Shoucheng had not expected the Marquis of Zhenbian’s household to be so audacious as to let the barbarians in. Fortunately, Xiangwu County had held. If Xiangwu County had been massacred by the barbarians, the Marquis of Zhenbian’s household would have been beyond redemption, even if they deserved a thousand deaths.
Lin Jiang immediately recounted everything, his face filled with guilt. “The situation was critical at the time. Miss Zhan let He Nuan take Young Master Xu away first. Later, Miss Zhan left with Zhu Xiao’s group. I had Old Fifth and the others follow He Nuan’s direction, while my men and I kept a distant tail on He Sheng and his group…”
“Is there any news from Wu Gang yet?” Yang Shoucheng’s worried heart finally relaxed.
The subordinates who had rushed along with Yang Shoucheng also felt relieved. They had truly feared they were too late, but thankfully, Young Master Xu was unharmed.
“I have already sent out signals. Perhaps the distance is too great, as there has been no response from Old Fifth’s group.” Lin Jiang estimated that Old Fifth and the others had not yet found Young Master Xu’s whereabouts. Otherwise, they would surely be on their way back, and they would have seen the signals.
“General.” A woman spoke up. She was tall, with a sharp and resolute face. If not for her voice, her build would have made her seem like a slender man. “Could this be a trap?”
Wei Shuying suspected Zhan Feiyu. Based on Lin Jiang’s account, Zhan Feiyu was like a selfless saint, loyal and righteous. First, she had braved danger, killing her way out of the barbarian army surrounding Xiangwu County to go to Aozi Pass to save Young Master Xu. When people from the Marquis of Zhenbian’s household appeared, she had given up her chance of survival to Young Master Xu and left with them. Finally, she had escaped under Zhu Xiao’s nose. Wei Shuying found it all highly suspicious.
They had only known each other for a few months, yet the young girl was willing to sacrifice her life for Young Master Xu. Moreover, if this wasn’t a trap, how could a defenseless young girl escape from under the eyes of the Marquis of Zhenbian’s household guards? It was utterly preposterous.
Lin Jiang was stunned and instinctively retorted, “Impossible! Miss Zhan is definitely not a villain with ulterior motives!”
Wei Shuying sneered and looked at Lin Jiang, questioning him, “You can know someone’s face but not their heart. How long have you known that girl, and how do you know what kind of person she is? We would risk our lives to protect Young Master Xu, but why would she abandon her own life for his safety?”
As for Zhan Feiyu’s high-sounding excuse, Wei Shuying wouldn’t believe a single word of it. A young girl who could abandon her family for the sake of her studies, who was so ambitious and ruthless, how could she bear to give up her own life? She suspected there was another motive.
Seeing Lin Jiang and Wei Shuying begin to argue, Yang Shoucheng spoke sternly, “The priority now is to find Young Master Xu and Xiao Yu.”
As for Wei Shuying’s speculation, although it was more logical, Yang Shoucheng would not accept it. Although that girl Xiao Yu was cunning and calculating, she was also upright and honorable.
The Yang family did hold military power, but Xiao Yu really had no need to set up this scheme to win the Yang family’s trust. She studied under Scholar Gu and had ties with the Imperial Guards. If she wanted power and status, she had plenty of ways to achieve it. Starting with Young Master Xu, even if she had set up a scheme, it would likely take at least ten years to yield results.
Yang Shoucheng knew Zhan Feiyu’s intelligence. In ten years, she would have already achieved great success. Why would she go through such trouble?
Lin Jiang stopped arguing. “General, He Nuan left from the west of Aozi Pass at the time. Ten miles west of there is a village, and further ahead is another village…”
Yang Shoucheng looked at the map spread on the ground, compared it with Lin Jiang’s description, and after a moment of thought, said gravely, “He Nuan is steady and composed. She is not familiar with the villages outside Xiangwu County. Therefore, to ensure Young Master Xu’s safety, she would definitely do the opposite.”
“Heroes think alike. The most dangerous place is often the safest. Hiding in other places, in a panic, one might leave traces. If the enemy tracks them down, Young Master Xu would be in danger.”
Standing beside Yang Shoucheng, a middle-aged man dressed in a blue robe, appearing to be a scholar, smiled. Unfortunately, he had a beard, so his features were not visible.
Pointing to Aozi Pass on the map, Tie Wen’s finger then traced a path towards Linzhou Prefecture. “Returning to Aozi Pass not only hides their tracks, but you can leave your horses here. With Young Master Xu, four legs are much faster than two. Moreover, Linzhou Prefecture is Zhang family territory.”
No matter who wanted to harm Young Master Xu, the Zhang family in Linzhou Prefecture would absolutely not dare to kill him. Furthermore, if there was real danger, they would do their utmost to help, especially since Zhang Minxian’s crime of murder was still in the General’s hands.
A moment later, over twenty fine horses galloped towards Aozi Pass, kicking up snow and dust. Even though Yang Shoucheng trusted He Nuan, no one could be completely at ease until they saw Yang Xu.
Slowing their pace slightly, Tie Wen and Yang Shoucheng rode side by side. “I rarely see the General trust someone so much, especially a young girl.”
Old Man Tie had three sons. His eldest son had stayed at the blacksmith shop all these years, like a blacksmith. His youngest son, Old Man Tie San, was a scoundrel who had once lurked in the capital to gather information.
Tie Wen was the second son and also a scholar. For years, not only had the neighbors of the blacksmith shop not seen Tie Wen for over a decade, but even the old Yang family subordinates had likely forgotten about Tie Wen.
Only Yang Shoucheng’s trusted subordinates knew that Tie Wen had once been Yang Shoucheng’s strategist. Although his whereabouts had been a mystery over the years, when the news of the Yang family’s resurgence spread, it was Tie Wen who began contacting the Yang family’s old subordinates and identifying who had remained loyal to the Yang family and who had become disloyal.
It could be said that after General Yang was falsely accused of treason, Yang Shoucheng had transferred all his authority to Tie Wen. These old Yang family subordinates had always been secretly commanded by Tie Wen.
Mentioning Zhan Feiyu, Yang Shoucheng’s stern and murderous expression softened with a rare smile. “You haven’t seen such an intelligent and graceful young girl. She is exceptionally clever yet open and upright. Compared to her, Yang Xu is a blockhead.”
Tie Wen, holding the reins, couldn’t help but shake his head and laugh. “If Lin Jiang hadn’t just said that the young girl was the first to abandon Qiu Jinyu, I would have believed what the General said.”
If she were truly kind-hearted, how could she have watched Qiu Jinyu die at Aozi Pass? It wasn’t just Qiu Jinyu, but also his ten subordinates. Eleven lives were lost just like that.
Moreover, the forty-seven assassins who had tried to kill her in Huaian Prefecture had their bodies displayed on the city wall for half a month. Yang Shoucheng said Zhan Feiyu was kind, but Tie Wen didn’t believe a single word of it.
Glancing at Tie Wen, Yang Shoucheng did not engage in verbal debate. When he saw Xiao Yu, everything would become clear. There was no point in saying more at the moment.
…
On the other side, Yin Wuyan had intended to take Zhan Feiyu back to Xiangwu County. However, halfway there, the young girl woke up, likely due to the bumpy ride on horseback.
Coupled with the cold weather, even with Yin Wuyan’s cloak wrapped around her, the cold wind from the galloping horse still made Zhan Feiyu unable to sleep soundly. She woke up after about fifteen minutes.
“Big Brother, A Nuan must have returned to Aozi Pass. To save someone, save them to the end; to send Buddha, send him to the west. Let’s go there now.” Zhan Feiyu turned her head and grinned at Yin Wuyan, her expression looking incredibly fawning.
Yin Wuyan looked at the flattering young girl with his deep phoenix eyes, his clear voice devoid of any apparent emotion. “Are you worried about Yang Xu?”
“I’m more worried about A Nuan. If she encounters real danger, A Nuan will definitely protect Yang Xu with her life.” Zhan Feiyu sighed, her face filled with conflict and distress. “This time, A Nuan took Yang Xu and left first. Although A Nuan followed orders at the time, she must have been unhappy in her heart.”
He Nuan’s unhappiness stemmed from her “desertion in the face of the enemy.” She was Zhan Feiyu’s subordinate and should have protected Zhan Feiyu, but she ended up taking Yang Xu and fleeing. Although the order was given by Zhan Feiyu herself, He Nuan must have felt guilty and self-reproachful.
… Glancing at Tie Wen, Yang Shoucheng did not engage in verbal debate. When he saw Xiao Yu, everything would become clear. There was no point in saying more at the moment.
…
On the other side, Yin Wuyan had intended to take Zhan Feiyu back to Xiangwu County. However, halfway there, the young girl woke up, likely due to the bumpy ride on horseback.
Coupled with the cold weather, even with Yin Wuyan’s cloak wrapped around her, the cold wind from the galloping horse still made Zhan Feiyu unable to sleep soundly. She woke up after about fifteen minutes.
“Big Brother, A Nuan must have returned to Aozi Pass. To save someone, save them to the end; to send Buddha, send him to the west. Let’s go there now.” Zhan Feiyu turned her head and grinned at Yin Wuyan, her expression looking incredibly fawning.
Yin Wuyan looked at the flattering young girl with his deep phoenix eyes, his clear voice devoid of any apparent emotion. “Are you worried about Yang Xu?”
“I’m more worried about A Nuan. If she encounters real danger, A Nuan will definitely protect Yang Xu with her life.” Zhan Feiyu sighed, her face filled with conflict and distress. “This time, A Nuan took Yang Xu and left first. Although A Nuan followed orders at the time, she must have been unhappy in her heart.”
He Nuan’s unhappiness stemmed from her “desertion in the face of the enemy.” She was Zhan Feiyu’s subordinate and should have protected Zhan Feiyu, but she ended up taking Yang Xu and fleeing. Although the order was given by Zhan Feiyu herself, He Nuan must have felt guilty and self-reproachful.