嫩草影院地址一二三

Chapter 187 - 187:187. Heading north on the journey

Chang’an looked at Duanmu Chen, who had been sitting in deep thought for a long time, and said to break the silence, “Is the Master all right?”

Duanmu Chen shook his head, “He’s fine.” He looked out through the window at the gloomy sky that had been darkening since morning, as if it was going to rain, but it didn’t.

The air was a bit stuffy, Duanmu Chen stood up, took a long breath, walked to the window, and turned his back to Chang’an. “Is there any movement in the palace?”

Chang’an shook his head, “Imperial Concubine has not sent out any messages. The eldest prince entered the palace and has not been heard from since. The second prince’s mansion is preparing for a funeral.”

“By now, Su Liang and Xing Ji should have set out. I knew she wouldn’t come to say goodbye to me,” Duanmu Chen huffed.

Chang’an was slightly taken aback, “It’s urgent, and it’s not convenient for Miss

Su to come here during the day.”

“I know,” Duanmu Chen nodded. “Even if she could come, she wouldn’t. It doesn’t matter. When I first met her in Bei’an County, I didn’t expect the events that followed to turn out like this.”

As Chang’an was trying to figure out Duanmu Chen’s intentions, Duanmu Chen’s lips curved up into a smile. “Everything has gone so smoothly that it’s unbelievable!”

Chang’an also smiled, “Yes! Maybe in a couple of days, the Emperor will issue an edict to confer the Master as the Crown Prince.”

Duanmu Chen smiled without speaking, obviously confident in this outcome.

Two legitimate princes had been disposed of at once, and now it should be his turn.

“Marquis Zhong Xin and General Lin’s journey to the north with Miss Su will not be smooth. By now, even if they act in secret, they won’t escape the Wan family’s watch,” Chang’an sighed softly.

Duanmu Chen shook his head, “I trust Su Liang. Xing Ji is not to be underestimated. It’s not just me who’s taking a gamble; my father is also gambling. Disposing of the Wan family is just a matter of time. The longer it takes, the harder it will be, and it can’t be delayed any further.”

“I also think that Miss Su can get things done once she goes,” Chang’an said.

“But will the eldest prince really be executed by the Emperor?”

Duanmu Chen scoffed, “How could it be possible? The eldest prince is, after all, the Emperor’s own flesh and blood, so he cannot kill him himself. He’ll have to consider the Empress Dowager and the Empress’s side. If Duanmu Cheng really dies now, the Wan family may become even more desperate. As long as the Emperor takes military power away from the hands of the Wan family, Duanmu Cheng will be completely ruined, and even if he’s alive, he won’t be able to cause any waves.”

“By the way, the fifth prince went back to his mansion from the palace today,” Chang’an suddenly mentioned.

Duanmu Chen let out three cold laughs after a brief shock, “Speaking of his relationship with Su Liang, Duanmu Che should have been closer to Liang than I. At first, I was worried that Su Liang would be drawn to him. As long as he was willing to get along with Su Liang, she would definitely side with him out of gratitude for saving her life. I didn’t expect Duanmu Che to be so foolish that he would turn Su Liang into his enemy.”

“I don’t understand what the Fifth Prince is thinking,” Chang’an said.

Duanmu Chen snorted coldly, “He’s just arrogant because of the Emperor’s favor. Ever since he was a child, the Emperor has always satisfied his desires. It was never obvious before, given his health issues, which stopped him from throwing tantrums. Now that Su Liang has cured his body, he’s become restless.”

Chang’an clasped his hands and prayed fervently, “I hope everything goes smoothly and our Master can ascend to the position of Crown Prince as soon as possible. ”

Su Liang and her group had just set off.

Qi Jiang had gone ahead to arrange their accommodations, and had not yet met Ning Jing, who was disguised as Qi Jun. Xing Ji had only glanced at her without paying much attention.

“Did Second Brother Lin go to say goodbye to Yu Jin?” Su Liang asked.

Lin Bojun nodded, “He did,” and sighed heavily after speaking.

Both the Lin and Qin families were very worried about Lin Bojun’s journey, but he had no choice but to go as it was the Emperor’s will.

Qin Yujin had given her jade pendant, which she wore close to her body, to Lin Bojun, making him promise that he would return safely.

Thinking of this, Lin Bojun felt a warm sensation in his chest where the jade pendant touched, but his heart was filled with sour feelings.

Looking back at the gloomy capital city, Lin Bojun withdrew his gaze and looked to the north, “I will definitely come back early to marry her!” Su Liang urged her horse to catch up with Xing Ji, “Uncle Xing, I have an idea.” Xing Ji nodded, “Tell me!”

“Our journey to the north will undoubtedly be reported to General Wan Shan in the northern border by the Wan family as quickly as possible. As we travel together, we will inevitably encounter obstacles. We don’t want any accidents to happen before we even reach our destination, ” Su Liang said seriously.

“What are your thoughts?” Xing Ji asked.

Su Liang spoke straightforwardly, “Why not divide our forces into two groups? One group will act secretly, going ahead to stabilize the situation in the north.” “I’ll go!” Lin Bojun immediately said.

Xing Ji frowned, pulled the horse’s reins, and slowed down, looking at Su Liang and asking, “Do you plan to go first?”

Su Liang nodded, “Yes. Since we’ve undertaken such an important task, we must find a way to complete it. If we fail, it won’t just be a matter of merit or sin; I’m afraid it will cause chaos.”

She spoke very bluntly, but it was all the truth.

Xing Ji thought for a moment, “I’ve also considered this, but there isn’t a suitable person to do it. In that case, I’ll go first, and you and Bojun can follow.

How about that?”

“I know that Uncle Xing would definitely be able to handle it, but still, leave it to me,” Su Liang insisted.

Lin Bojun sighed, “I promised my father and little sister to take good care of

Xiaoliang, so why do you have to be in the front again?”

Su Liang snorted softly, “If you don’t agree, I can’t help but suspect that you are discriminating against me because I am a woman.”

Xing Ji and Lin Bojun couldn’t help but laugh and cry. They certainly believed in Su Liang’s strength and wisdom, but they never thought of letting her take the lead.

“You, yourself…” Xing Ji’s attitude softened, but he was still hesitating. From behind Su Liang came Qi Jun’s voice, “I am also a person.”

“Xiaoqi will go with me,” Su Liang smiled, “We’ve known each other for a long time, and it’s good to have someone to rely on along the way. When we get back, I’ll have to treat Prince Xing to a drink, to thank him for considering everything so thoroughly and sending me a helper.”

Since Su Liang said this, Xing Ji agreed, “In that case, let’s do as you said. Bring the Imperial Decree and the Imperial Sword with you. If they are needed, use them.”

Xing Ji: …Is this a strange enough reason?

“I’m going alone. If nothing happens, there’s no need to show my face. Even if something does happen, I can’t do anything openly without leaving any trace. You just need to be safe and catch up as soon as possible. At that time, you can exert pressure openly, and I will assist secretly,” Su Liang said.

Xing Ji didn’t insist anymore.

Since they had decided, they were going to part ways at the next intersection.

“Ajun, you must take good care of Su Liang!” Xing Ji said seriously.

Ning Jing nodded, “Marquis, rest assured, I will definitely protect Miss Su with my life!”

These were the words that the real Qi Jun would say. Su Liang felt strange hearing them. It’s not that she thought Ning Jing wouldn’t protect her wholeheartedly, but she simply felt that someone as strong as Ning Jing shouldn’t need to put their life on the line.

“Don’t be reckless. Neither of you can have any accidents,” Xing Ji admonished “Qi Jun”.

Lin Bojun repeatedly reminded Su Liang not to push herself too hard, and to prioritize her own safety in case of any trouble.

“Actually, you are the ones in danger,” Su Liang was calm, “I’ll hide, and they won’t even find me, so what’s there to be afraid of? Goodbye for now, see you in Xuanbei City!”

As soon as she finished speaking, Su Liang, accompanied by “Qi Jun”, turned into a secluded side road, and their figures disappeared in the blink of an eye.

Xing Ji, Lin Bojun, and the others continued their journey quickly.

When they saw Qi Jiang again, he was surprised not to see his son there. Upon hearing Xing Ji explain the reasons, he sighed, “That’s fine too.” There was inevitably some worry about his son in his words, but he didn’t say anything more.

Su Liang’s proposal to act alone was an agreement she and Ning Jing reached shortly after leaving home.

It was the safest choice from both public and private perspectives.

If they really went with Xing Ji and Qi Jiang all the way, it would be hard to guarantee that Qi Jiang wouldn’t notice Ning Jing’s flaws. After all, he was Qi Jun’s biological father, and Ning Jing’s understanding of Qi Jun was limited. Perhaps it was some of Qi Jun’s habits or actions that they hadn’t seen that would expose him.

However, it isn’t much of a big deal to reveal the disguise and identity change.

But if they run into trouble, and Ning Jing exposes her powerful martial arts skills, people will inevitably suspect her identity and the purpose of hiding her strength.

Lin Bojun knows. If the extremely smart Xing Ji discovers that Ning Jing is hiding her abilities and guesses that she is a fake Ning Jing, he might be able to link her with Gu Ling.

That wouldn’t be ideal, and there’s no need for it.

Ning Jing also doesn’t want to constantly disguise herself as someone else and not be able to have regular conversations with Su Liang.

The breeze brushed their faces as Su Liang rode the horse swiftly, laughing and saying, “I spent several months in the capital city, and now that I’ve come out, I suddenly feel a sense of freedom regained.”

“Then don’t go back,” Ning Jing said.

“I can’t do that. There are a few cups of wedding wine that I mustdrink. As long as Duanmu Cheng is still alive, it’s not over,” Su Liang replied.

Destroying the Wan family is also a necessary step in completely breaking down Duanmu Cheng’s power.

The weather had turned warmer, and Ning Jing, who had been to Xuanbei City, said that they would have to change horses midway and travel day and night, arriving at the fastest in davs.

“You guide the way and move at the fastest speed. Find time to rest during the day and replenish dried food,” Su Liang said.

Resting at night requires finding a place that is sheltered from the wind and warm, which is not very convenient.

Ning Jing had no objections.

Their characters were the type that either didn’t do something or did it thoroughly and to the best of their ability.

By working hard initially and arriving at Xuanbei City earlier, they could more easily control the situation afterwards.

Hence, there will be no time for them to read books or learn anything in the future.

Su Mansion in the capital city.

Qi Jun was pretending to be Ning Jing, and Nian Jincheng didn’t plan to show his face, fearing he would be discovered.

Qi Jun also felt a bit awkward. He thought that only Yang Yu will be in the mansion, and he would have to ask her to cook for him, which felt uncomfortable from all angles.

Yang Yu had noticed it too, and during dinner, she told Qi Jun that she would be leaving the next day.

Qi Jun breathed a sigh of relief, “Miss Yang is going back home?”

Yang Yu nodded, “It’s time to go back. That was the original plan, but I didn’t expect Su Liang to leave the capital first.”

“Do you need someone to escort you?” Qi Jun asked seriously.

Yang Yu shook her head with a smile, “No need, someone will protect me.” “That’s good,” Qi Jun nodded.

“I went to say goodbye to Sister Wan today, and told her that when you are alone at home, a waiter from the restaurant will deliver meals three times a day. Just leave the dishes after eating, and the waiter will take them away when they deliver the next meal,” Yang Yu said.

Qi Jun quickly said that it was not necessary, and that he would find a solution himself.

Yang Yu then said that this was Ning Jing’s choice when she was at home.

Qi Jun hesitated for a moment, then accepted it and thanked Yang Yu.

“There’s no need. When it comes to spending money, don’t be shy. What we don’t lack is money,” Yang Yu said with a serious expression.

Qi Jun touched his forehead, that’s true. The heads of the Ning family, Yang family, and Miss Wan…

Yang Yu taught Qi Jun the Disguise Technique, and Qi Jun, being quick-witted, learned it in no time. He removed the disguise from his face and redid it in front of Yang Yu to show it to her.

“There’s no problem,” Yang Yu said, “Anyway, Brother Ning doesn’t like to go out or talk much. You can just stay at home and do whatever you want.”

Qi Jun thought about it, indeed. Although Su Liang didn’t socialize much, she often interacted with her friends. Ning Jing was like her shadow. In normal circumstances, if Su Liang wasn’t at home, Ning Jing wouldn’t go out if she could help it.

Having minimal contact with people, they wouldn’t have to worry too much about revealing any flaws.

After explaining all the matters she could think of, Yang Yu went back to her room to rest.

The next morning, Zhou Yuan drove a carriage to pick up Yang Yu, and she left Su Mansion.

Qi Jun, disguised as Ning Jing, went to the Ministry of Revenue for work. Ning Jing’s position didn’t involve much work, and her colleagues were very polite. Qi Jun was initially quite nervous, but he relaxed later on.

As the day was about to end, Qi Jun felt that this experience was quite enjoyable and quite magical. When he later told his master and brother about it, they would surely envy him.

Qi Jun even pre-emptively considered how to act when encountering Xing Yusheng and Qi Yan.

Thinking of how Ning Jing had always been unkind to Xing Yusheng in their conversations, Qi Jun began rehearsing how to coldly ridicule hisown master in Ning Jing’s room…

A major incident had occurred in the capital city, but no chaos had resulted.

Duanmu Cheng was placed under house arrest in the Imperial Palace. The news of him hiring assassins to kill Duanmu Ao had spread far and wide.

Duanmu Yi openly demanded Duanmu Cheng’s execution in the court but was persuaded by a group of court officials not to do so.

For a time, dark undercurrents surged in the court.

As for Duanmu Yi’s arrangement for Xing Ji, Lin Bojun, and Su Liang to go north, many people actually knew about it, but Duanmu Yi never mentioned it publicly, so naturally, he didn’t say how to deal with the Wan family.

Many people thought that with Duanmu Cheng having crippled Duanmu Ao and killed him, Duanmu Chen would soon ascend to the position of crown prince.

However, five days had passed since Duanmu Ao’s death and Duanmu Yi still had not announced the appointment of a new crown prince.

Duanmu Chen was not in a hurry, knowing that Duanmu Yi was maintaining stability and letting some people in the Wan family believe that Duanmu Cheng still had a chance to prevent them from taking any desperate actions.

Duanmu Chen didn’t want to be a target at this time but also knew that even if he didn’t have the position of crown prince in hand, the Wan family would definitely spare no effort to eliminate him, so he was always cautious and extremely careful.

After traveling day and night for five days, Su Liang and Ning Jing arrived in Pingbei City they had once lived in for a while without stopping to rest.

The two of them seldom spoke, and even when they did, outsiders standing nearby with their ears pricked up wouldn’t understand because Ning Jing was practicing the English that Su Liang had taught her earlier.

In fact, Su Liang thought that learning this wouldn’t be of much use to Ning Jing, but Ning Jing was very interested in the new language and writing system, saying that if it wasn’t convenient to speak, it could be used as a secret code between the two of them.

Of course, Su Liang didn’t care. As long as Ning Jing was willing to put in the effort to learn, Su Liang would teach her.

In the evening, the two returned to their “hometown,” Bei’an County.

Looking at the familiar buildings and the hurried passersby in the evening, Su Liang was filled with emotion for a moment, “I really want to go home and see if Little Tiger and Zhuzi have forgotten about me.”

“They won’t,” Ning Jing said.

“Forget it, let’s get things done quickly. When we return to the capital city, we can pass by here again and stay at home for a few days,” Su Liang said.

When they arrived at Feiyan Town, Su Liang saw their old friend Hu Er from a distance. He looked healthy and, now doing legitimate business, his entire temperament had changed.

Su Liang was dressed as a man and had disguised herself and Ning Jing. Their looks were very ordinary and didn’t attract attention.

The two rode their horses past quickly, and Hu Er looked up at the sound of the hooves, seeing the familiar figures and his face lighting up with joy. Before he could even speak, they had already ridden away in the distance.

Xiaoliu asked Hu Er, “What is Second Master looking at?” Hu Er smiled happily, “A pair of loving birds just flew by..”