To avoid attracting attention, Zhu Cheng had arranged for his personal soldiers to set off separately the night before and et at a designated location. Even Zhu Cheng’s escorts departed in advance, waiting outside the city.
Thus, only five of them quietly left the capital in the faint morning light.
Before departure, Yan Daoxin handed Zhu Cheng a small gourd: "The dicine has been brewed before dawn, drink it while it’s hot, Prince. Otherwise, it will affect the efficacy, and so people’s blood will be shed in vain."
Zhu Cheng took the gourd, his gaze first falling on Zhu Yu’s wrist, then looking at her face.
Zhu Yu had a fake skin on her face, obscuring her complexion, but the blood marks on the cloth around her wrist were clearly visible.
Zhu Yu felt a bit uneasy under Zhu Cheng’s gaze.
The previous day, she had indeed cut herself, shedding a little blood, but last night Lu Qing had applied ointnt, and the wound was now scabbing over.
This morning, Yan Daoxin specifically left so chicken blood for her to apply on the cloth.
She used to expose others doing such acts, and now suddenly doing it herself, she couldn’t help feeling inexplicably uneasy.
Judging by Zhu Cheng’s complex eyes and conflicted expression, he clearly hadn’t noticed anything amiss, likely believing it.
Zhu Yu breathed a slight sigh of relief but still instinctively shifted her wrist to the other side.
After eting up with Zhu Cheng’s four escorts, they sped up, galloping on horseback. Along the way, the personal soldiers joined them, but without traveling together to avoid drawing attention.
By nightfall, they reached a pass closest to the capital.
Upon arrival, the pass gates were still open, with people continuously entering and exiting around the city gates.
Zhu Cheng and his group observed secretly for a long ti, seeing the guards idling, yawning, standing crookedly by the gate with no spirit.
The travelers passing by received barely a glance at their docunts from the guards, who didn’t read what was written, impatiently waving them through.
Watching their perfunctory behavior, Zhu Cheng was naturally angry but had to restrain himself, holding back and continuing to observe.
Finally, as dusk deepened, when the gates were about to close, a man resembling a Commander sauntered over with a lazy wave to signal closing the gates.
The two guards prepared to shut the gates, but seeing anxious travelers approach, they quickly stepped forward, retrieving sothing from their bosom, pleading and stuffing it into the guards’ hands.
The guards accepted without hesitation, turning and offering it to the Commander.
The Commander weighed the small bundle, seemingly satisfied with its heft, nodded, and casually waved his hand.
The guards stepped aside, allowing the travelers to rush through without checking their docunts.
Zhu Yu secretly sighed that compared to here, their entry from Black Stone Mountain seed much stricter.
Zhu Cheng’s face went as dark as a pot bottom, hands clenched at his sides, trembling slightly with anger. Yet he grit his teeth and held back, waiting until the gates closed and the crowd dispersed, the Commander and guards sauntering away before signaling his personal soldiers.
The soldiers quickly followed them, clearly more well-trained under Zhu Cheng’s direct command.
They silently caught up and subdued the three, pinning them to the ground, barely allowing any alarm.
"What’s your business, heroes?" The Commander didn’t bother trying after a few futile struggles, softening his tone, "If there’s anything, we can discuss it amiably, no need for such a big scene.
We’re Shuo Country’s guards, after all, eating military rations. If you hurt or kill us, it may cause trouble for you, right?
This is just a small Lower Pass, only us here. There’s nothing we can’t negotiate, and if we don’t speak, no one will trouble you, truly unnecessary..."
"You dare call yourselves Shuo Country’s guards!" Zhu Cheng’s escort stepped forward, glaring at the Commander, squatting and brandishing his waist card near the Commander’s nose, "Eating military rations, yet you guard this pass worse than an ordinary city gate!"
The Commander stared at the waist card from Prince Shuo Mansion, fear making his eyes nearly pop out. Before he could plead, a hand chop from the personal soldier knocked him unconscious.
"The three of you, change clothes and guard this place for now." Zhu Cheng ordered three personal soldiers angrily, "Secretly escort these three back, imprison them, and extract everything possible from them.
Whatever ans required, they’re at your disposal!"
The soldiers took the unconscious Commander and guards away, disappearing swiftly into the night.
Rune picked up the small bundle dropped from the Commander’s hand, glanced at Lu Qing, courteously offering it to Zhu Cheng.
Zhu Cheng took it, weighed it, opened to find a string of Copper Coins inside, and grunted angrily: "A Lower Pass Commander, casually letting people through for this paltry amount, how are the other places?
Let’s hurry, onward to the next location!"
"Father, after a day’s journey, it’s night now, with the pass gates closed, no one coming or going. I believe you should rest, eat sothing, then continue traveling, aiming to reach the next place before dawn," Zhu Yu advised quickly.
Her concern was sincere, as Zhu Cheng had been consuming unknown chronic poison, and despite taking antidotes under Yan Daoxin’s care for days, along with his advanced age, she truly worried about his health.
Zhu Cheng, nearly oblivious from rage at witnessing the scene, was reminded by Zhu Yu of their day’s hardship, realizing his empty stomach.
"Alright, let’s rest briefly," he agreed, eyeing Zhu Yu’s wrist, "You’ve endured hardship these days, delay the dicine... a little delay should be fine."
User Comments
0 comments from readers