Love Affairs in Chang'an - Chapter 265
Chapter 265 Emotion And Law
Qin Mubai stood on the deck of the ship, blowing a river breeze with a faint smell of water grass. There was an indescribable sense of comfort in it.
Originally, there were some things that he didn’t feel very good about accompanying him all day long, but once he lost them, he would feel its beauty.
For example, freedom!
Qin Mubai, who had regained his freedom, had an instinctive urge to see the people he cared about. Parents, brothers and sisters, Wu Meiniang and Princess Gaoyang, as well as the soldiers who were with each other day and night.
Li Ke entered the cabin for more than an hour and did not come out. The sacrifices in the Mausoleum of Emperor Yang had already ended. The Crown Prince and the King of Jiangxia, surrounded by all the guards, walked out of the sacrificial grounds and were heading towards the river bank, preparing to board the ship and return.
Qin Mubai stood on the boat and saw it, so he got off the boat to greet it.
Li Chengqian’s face was flushed red as he chatted and laughed with his ministers. He seemed to be in a good mood. Seeing Qin Mubai walking towards him, he laughed loudly from afar, “Not bad, Mubai! The sacrifice arrangement is very good, Gu is very satisfied! Look at the reaction of the people in Xiangyang. They are too enthusiastic! Oh right, what have you been doing these past two days? Gu has always wanted to play chess with you, but he can’t meet your people?”
Qin Mubai smiled and cupped his hands. “Please forgive me, Your Highness. I have been busy dealing with various military affairs and arranging sacrificial garrisons these past two days, so I have neglected Your Highness a lot. Please stay in Xiangyang for a while longer and give me a chance to make up for my mistakes.”
“Easy to say, easy to say.” Li Chengqian chuckled. “There’s a total of fifteen days before and after the sacrifice. Gu won’t go back early. Xiangyang is a good place. Gu is especially interested in all kinds of fish soup here. If General Qin has time, he will come to Gu Xingyuan for dinner tonight and try some delicious fish soup, right?”
“This lowly official is better respectful than obedient!” Qin Mubai smiled and agreed.
“Oh, Royal Uncle, you must also come!” Li Chengqian turned around and said to Li Daozong.
“This old official will definitely come personally.” Dao Sect Li also agreed straightforwardly.
“Oh right, what about Third Brother? Why don’t you see Third Brother King Wu?” Li Chengqian asked.
“Oh, His Royal Highness Prince Qi has already recovered from the cold. His Royal Highness Prince Wu just came to offer his condolences and stayed on the ship for a while. If His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has a summons, how about I invite the Prince of Wu?” Qin Mubai said.
“No need, just let Third Brother stay with Fifth Brother and take care of him!” Li Chengqian said, “All you need to do is to send him a message and say that you can invite the two brothers to the banquet together tonight.”
“Yes.” Qin Mubai agreed and turned to look at Li Daozong. The little old man had an unfathomable smile on his face as he nodded.
After saying this, Li Chengqian prepared to board the ship and return to Xiangyang. With Pang Fei leading the Hundred Cavalry to guard from the side, Qin Mubai could be at ease. Thus, on the pretext that there was still military affairs that needed to be tidied up, he did not board the ship and return with him.
After entering the cabin of the Divine Fish ship, Li Chengqian impatiently summoned his left and right attendants and changed his clothes. After a while, he invited Li Daozong to the cabin and pointed at a golden silk robe on the table. “Royal Uncle, it seems that you are overthinking it. This golden silk armor is useless at all. It is thick and heavy on your body, and you sweat a little. It can be considered uncomfortable. Now return the original to Royal Uncle.”
Li Daozong chuckled and said, “It’s the most useful thing if it’s useless. Xiangyang has just calmed down the water ghost disaster. Those bandits are more or less related to the remnants of the former Sui Dynasty. Perhaps there are still fish that have escaped the net, so it’s not too much to be more careful.”
“That’s true. Thank you, Royal Uncle, for your attentive care.” Li Chengqian heaved a sigh of relief and sat down. He knitted his brows and said, “Imperial Uncle, why do I feel that Qin Mubai, Li Ke, and Li Ke are all a bit mysterious?”
“Is there?” Dao Sect Li was shocked, “Why can’t I see it?”
“Is that so?” Li Chengqian blinked his eyes in confusion. “Since Imperial Uncle doesn’t see anything strange, then I must be overthinking it. Oh right, Fifth Brother is suffering from a cold. I happen to have some good medicines that are commonly used in the palace. I’ll send someone over to deliver some later.”
“That’s good too.” Li Daozong did not say anything else. He folded the golden silk armor and carefully wrapped it up. He changed the topic and said, “This armor was found in Wang Shichong’s private treasury and given to me by your father. Don’t underestimate this armor. It has saved my life at least twice. It is of great significance!”
The Crown Prince’s boat had already left, so Qin Mubai returned to the boat and saw Li Ke leaving the cabin. He stood by the railing and watched from afar as he pondered.
“How is it?” Qin Mubai walked over to him and asked.
Li Ke frowned slightly and shook his head.
“Ah!” Qin Mubai sighed and said, “What should we do now?”
Li Ke was silent for a long time and said, “Secret forces, capture Yin Hongzhi with all their might. Seal off the news and house arrest King Qi.”
“House arrest?” Qin Mubai said, “He is the Governor of Dengzhou. When are you going to keep him under house arrest when the military affairs of the entire state are handled by him?”
“At the very least, we have to wait until the Crown Prince leaves Xiang Zhou.” Li Ke said.
“Then it’s troublesome.” Qin Mubai said, “Just now, the Crown Prince said that he would invite you to his Xingyuan banquet with King Qi.”
Li Ke also revealed a hint of embarrassment and said, “I’ll go back to the manor later and ask Quan Wanji for help.” He has a unique skill in imitate other people’s handwriting. I asked him to imitate Li You’s handwriting and write a dictionary. He said that he was in bad health and hurried back to Dengzhou for treatment. Please forgive me, Your Highness the Crown Prince. “In any case, the Crown Prince and King Qi have always been at odds. The Crown Prince would not care if there were not many of them.”
“That’s good. Looks like that’s the only way.” Qin Mubai sighed and said, “I just don’t know, what if Princess Gaoyang asks about it after we go back? Her uncle and brother suddenly leave without saying goodbye overnight.”
“That’s your mission.” Li Ke said, “Isn’t deceiving a woman your specialty? Just lie and cover it up. In short, you can’t let her know the truth. Otherwise, if this troublesome girl breaks out, no one will be able to resist.”
“Ah? Since when did I have such a good show? This is clearly your specialty!” Qin Mubai cried out in grievance.
“Don’t be ridiculous. You’re clearly the one who brought me down. At least, when I was 12, I wouldn’t peek at a woman taking a bath.” Li Ke said seriously.
The corner of Qin Mubai’s mouth twitched. He was speechless and could only smile bitterly.
Later, the ship also got up its anchor and headed towards Xiangyang. Qin Mubai and Li Ke had been standing on the deck of the ship and never returned to the cabin. Only when the ship was about to dock did Li Ke call Qin Mubai. He arranged for the two of them to change their robes for Li You and change into the uniform of an ordinary soldier. Then, they escorted him ashore and stuffed him into Li Ke’s carriage.
During this process, Li You was very quiet and did not make any unusual moves. However, he was abnormally silent, and his eyes were filled with a deathly gray expression, a look of despair and indifference.
Qin Mubai followed Li Ke to the secretariat office and took Li You to Li Ke’s room. At this time, the three of them gathered together.
“Third Brother, what exactly are you going to do with me?” Li You finally said, “Of all the brothers, you are the only one I admire. I don’t want to make things difficult for you. Just say something accurate and I’ll do it.”
“I just want you to stay in my mansion quietly until the Crown Prince leaves Xiangzhou.” Li Ke said.
Li You nodded. “Alright. I understand your pains. Thank you. But, I have done something myself. I don’t regret it. I won’t betray my uncle and blame him for all of this. Please understand.”
“I know.” Li Ke nodded helplessly, “You should stay here and rest in peace for the next few days. Don’t think too much about it!”
Li You fell into silence for a long time. He said, “You’d better … escort me to Chang’an as soon as possible and hand me over to Father Emperor!”
Li Ke frowned, “Why should I do this?”
“If you don’t do this, you’ll be covering for me. At that time, you’ll also be implicated. I don’t want to implicate you in what you do.” Li You turned around and said with his back to Li Ke.
“You think too much, Fifth Brother.” Li Ke sighed and walked behind him. He patted his shoulder and said, “Even if Foolish Brother was implicated, he would at most be scolded. At most, he would be dismissed. On the other hand, if I hand you over to Chang’an, everything will be ruined for you.”
“The laws of the country are strict and the laws are ruthless. Third brother, for me, you are not worth doing objectively.” Li You said.
“The rules of the world are nothing more than’law of reason ‘. Isn’t this feeling still before reason and law?” Li Ke said softly, “People are not plants, how can they be heartless? Not only because of you, but also because of your mother and Gaoyang’s second half of their lives, as well as your imperial concubines and sons and daughters. How can I bear it?”
Li Ke’s body trembled slightly, and his eyelids instantly became wet. He forced himself to calm down and said indifferently, “I’m tired. I want to rest. Third Brother, all of you go!”
“Have a good rest” Li Ke shook his head and beckoned Qin Mubai to leave the room.
Outside the door, there were twelve confidants of Li Ke guarding the palace, and beside them was the palace camp, so he could be at ease.
After leaving, Li Ke sighed and said, “Fifth brother is not a bad person. He is like a ghost who has lost his mind and is unable to figure it out for a while. I really hope that he can properly reflect on his repentance during this period of time. Otherwise … even if I have the intention to help him, there is nothing I can do.”
“That’s right! When a doctor saves a person, he also needs the patient to have a desire to survive.” Qin Mubai said, “Perhaps it was because he had left many shadows in his heart since he was young, and coupled with the instigation and indoctrination of Yin Hongzhi over the years, his heart has already lost.” This time, he wanted to assassinate but failed, the matter could be big or small. Fortunately, he met you. If it was anyone else, he would die. By the way, how did you dispatch Su Lianqing to save me? ”
Li Ke smiled mysteriously, “Recently, I learned some divination techniques from some Jianghu outsiders. As long as I pinch my fingers and calculate, I can guess everything. How is it? Isn’t it amazing?”
“Cut! Just blow!” Qin Mubai curled his lips in disdain.
“Haha!” Li Ke laughed proudly and said, “That’s because I know you too well.” On such an important day, no matter how busy you are, you will definitely find time to come to my mansion and chat with me about the sacrifices. I’m surprised that you didn’t show up for two days in a row. I’ll send someone to investigate. The Crown Prince and Jiang Xia Wang Xingyuan also don’t see your people. That’s even more abnormal. So I became suspicious and sent people to the barracks to find you, but there was no news of you. Then there’s no need to guess, it must be a mistake! So I sent a lot of men to look for you in secret. Su Lianqing was just one of them. However, this woman was very smart and mysterious, and her luck was exceptionally good. “She first guessed that you hid in Wu Mei’s house and secretly enjoyed yourself and forgot about your business … Then, she found you step by step like this.”
“I… fuck, am I that kind of person?” Qin Mubai cried out.
“Of course not.” Li Ke blinked his eyes and said seriously, “But it’s very strange. That’s how Su Lianqing found you.”
Qin Mubai was speechless.
“Actually, this is also a blessing fruit you planted for yourself.” Li Ke laughed and said, “Long Xingbu Yun, rats and ants dig holes. All kinds of people have their own specialties and methods. Su Lianqing, this strange demonic woman who traveled in Jianghu back then, her methods really surprised me. She can actually drive snakes and bees-don’t you think she’s a genius?”
Qin Mubai curled her lips and said, “It seems that Li You has always liked to make friends with people like this.”
Li Ke’s embarrassed expression changed. He coughed dryly twice and cut his hand behind his back. He said seriously, “The princess is dead, so it’s not appropriate for her to stay in my mansion. Then, go back wherever she comes from!”
“What do you mean?” Qin Mubai asked in confusion.
Li Ke turned around and looked at him with an expression of “taking it for granted”. He said, “Of course, I’ll give him back to you!” Which big family doesn’t do that? If the master died, the servants and maidservants would be sent home or resold. Back then, it was you who gave Su Lianqing to me. Now, of course, I can only return her back! Could it be that you want me to keep such a demonic woman and take her as a concubine? ”
The corners of Qin Mubai’s eyes twitched a few times and he laughed dryly, “That’s … not impossible!”
“Hmph, I’m not Li You!” Li Ke said righteously and strode away.
Qin Mubai didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. He thought to himself, “Li Ke, this guy is getting better and better at acting now!” It was clearly Su Lianqing who took the initiative to ask for a change of job to Wu Meiniang, but he bluffed and took the initiative to give her to me. Haha, looks like I’m afraid of losing face in front of me!
After staying in Li Ke’s mansion for a period of time and having a meal with him, Qin Mubai took his leave and went straight to Jiang Xia King Xingyuan.
This major event came and went like a gust of wind, like the ebb tide of the river and sea. It could be said to be extremely dangerous, but it could also be said to be extremely dangerous.
In this storm, Qin Mubai was standing at the mouth of the river, extremely dangerous. However, the one who truly controlled the ship was the Jiang Xia King, Li Daozong, who was still hidden in the depths of his life.
If it weren’t for this old man standing guard here, Li Ke wouldn’t have been so calm and composed. If it weren’t for him helping to stabilize the Crown Prince, the current situation wouldn’t be as peaceful as it is now.
Therefore, Qin Mubai felt that it was necessary to see Li Daozong now. For one thing, it was necessary to express gratitude to him; Secondly, it would be better to probe his mouth and ask him how to deal with Li Youcai.
When they arrived at Jiang Xia King Xingyuan, Li Daozong returned from the Crown Prince Xingyuan and sat in the main hall drinking tea alone, as if he was waiting for Qin Mubai.
“Coming!” Seeing Qin Mubai, Li Daozong chuckled and waved to him, “Come, sit down and drink tea with me.”
“Alright.” Qin Mubai smiled and walked over to sit down with him.
“Try this king’s craftsmanship. How is it compared to Li Ke?” Li Daozong smiled and handed him a cup of tea.
Qin Mubai respectfully took it and tasted it seriously. Tsk tsk, he said, “Your Highness’s tea skills are exceptional.”
“Oh, what do you mean?” Dao Sect Li asked with a smile.
Qin Mubai took another sip and said seriously, “This tea can also brew the spicy taste of old ginger. I’ve never heard of it before!”
“Haha, you stinking brat!” Dao Sect Li burst into laughter.
Qin Mubai put down the teacup and bowed to Li Daozong, “Thank you, Your Highness, for saving me! I will repay your kindness in the future!”
“Forget it, what great kindness do I owe you?” Dao Sect Li chuckled, “It is the blessing star in your life that is protecting you.”
“Oh, what did Your Highness say?” Qin Mubai asked curiously.
Li Daozong smiled and made Princess Gaoyang jealous and angry, which aroused his suspicions. Then, he went to Li Ke’s mansion. In the end, the two of them plotted the entire rescue and preparedness plan together and told Qin Mubai.
Qin Mubai was shocked, “Could it be that Princess Gao Yang had inadvertently said a few words and His Highness had sensed a crisis, so he had made all these arrangements?”
“Actually, I’m not as magical as you think. Many things had been arranged beforehand by Li Ke. He’s more alert than me, and smarter than me. One or two days ago, Li Ke had already noticed and acted. Otherwise, how could I save you so quickly? “He even sent people to secretly control the inn that Li You rented. Unfortunately, that Yin Hongzhi still escaped,” Li Daozong said.
Qin Mubai nodded and thought to herself, “My lucky star, Ling’er … But this time, although she” blessed “me, she indirectly caused his brother to fall into a predicament. What would she do if she found out the truth?
