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"Won?"
Apart from winning the battle and everything is going well, Jiang Rao didn't think about it, nor was she willing to think about other possibilities. The only thing she asked subconsciously was this sentence.
"This is the only thing I can inquire about." Thinking of Jiang Rao's eagerness to know what's going on in Huaizhou, Ming Shao also looked anxious, "The maids and eunuchs are all anxious to pack their bags and plan to go back to the palace. I don't know."
She knew that Jiang Rao might not like to hear these words, but she had to say, "Miss, look at this servant, it really doesn't look like you've won a battle..."
Just as the stone pressing on Jiang Rao's heart was removed, it was thrown back from a high altitude, and the pit of her heart ached.
The north wind was blowing slowly, while Ming Shao was talking, she was also listening to the movement outside.
In addition to the sound of wind and snow, what fell into my ears was the chirping of sparrows on the trees, which was very quiet.
If she won the battle, she would have to hear people cheering, how could she be so quiet
"It's not necessary to speak so early, maybe the emperor is in a hurry to return to the palace because of other things."
The letters she received and the news she had inquired about before, the situation in Huaizhou, became more optimistic each time.
"Since the emperor is going back to the palace, we don't have to stay here." Jiang Rao said, "Let's go back too, and ask someone to take care of it, and see if we can know why the emperor suddenly returned to the palace this time."
After leaving the palace, Jiang Rao only stayed in Uncle Ning'an's mansion for two days. While in the palace, the emperor was in a hurry to leave, but the news in Jinling City was not fast. The fire couldn't reach the head, no one cared about Huaizhou, and there was no movement about Huaizhou.
On Liao Qiubai's side, Jiang Rao also asked someone to ask, but there was no news. Jiang Rao wanted to know what was going on. She entered the palace and lived with Concubine Yun Gui. Li Ren, the servant and eunuch in front of Emperor Zhaowu, met her in front of Xiujia Building, pretending to meet by chance.
Since she had to pretend to be a chance encounter, Jiang Rao didn't go there early to wait, and waited until the hour was about to show up. When she saw Li Ren, she blessed her, "Grandfather is auspicious."
Li Ren glanced left and right, then looked back at Jiang Rao, his eyes were small, and there was a light in them, as if he could see through people's thoughts.
The old man who has practiced in the palace for so many years does have the ability to read people's hearts, before Jiang Rao could open his mouth, he said firstly: "Young lady has hired slaves so many times, do you want to know about things in Huaizhou? "
Although it was a question, the tone was affirmative.
He sighed and continued on his own: "Why is the girl in such a hurry to ask? You will know sooner or later."
Li Ren's words are not terrible sooner or later. What is terrible is that in his sigh, there is a kind of sympathy for her. Jiang Rao can hear the sympathy for her, and he can't help feeling nervous. Li Ren sighed again and lowered his voice. Said to her: "There are not many people who know about this matter. The servant only told you one girl. You must not say anything about it."
Jiang Rao nodded hurriedly.
"The battle in Huaizhou was won by our Dazhao."
"However, both General Xi and His Highness the Ninth Prince fell off the cliff, and the whereabouts of the two are unknown, and there is no sign of them so far."
Jiang Rao's face hadn't even lit up when she heard Li Ren say something like this again, her palms were cold, seeing that Li Ren was about to leave, she hurriedly ran after him and asked, "How long have you been missing?"
Li Ren slowed down and shook his head, "That's all this servant knows. The emperor has sent people to look for Huaizhou. The news will not be spread until both of them are found. Only a dozen people know about it. Something happened to the general, something happened to the prince, it's no small matter."
He told Jiang Rao again, "Girl, don't tell others."
…
Splendid Palace.
Empress Jiahe comforted the seventeenth prince, "The general and the prince holding the military talisman disappeared. If you don’t want to, you have to spread the news.”
Even though Emperor Zhaowu did not announce it to the public, Empress Jiahe still learned of the disappearance of both Rong Ting and Xi Zimo through her own eyeliner in Huaizhou.
"Then what about General Xi?" The Seventeenth Prince frowned, "If General Xi can't be found, wouldn't the military power in his hands fall into the hands of others?"
"I didn't expect that the crippled one would have to be taken as a backer." Empress Jiahe said with a gloomy face, "It's not just Xi Zimo who can secure the military power south of the Quezhi Mountain Range for us. Your grandfather can find someone to replace him. When the emperor wants to send generals to the south, he can find the ministers in the court to recommend them. It’s worth paying off Xi Zimo and removing the thorn in his side.”
She covered her face and laughed, "He sacrificed his life for the country, His Majesty will definitely feel that I have taught you well, and will love you even more."
The seventeenth prince lowered his head, "I haven't seen the dead body yet, so I'm always uneasy."
"At that time, his limbs were sound. How can he be a disabled person like he is now? He was lucky to meet Jiang Xingzhou's family who passed by in Yecheng. Otherwise, he should have been seen on Huangquan Road long ago. Instead of worrying For these useless things, why don’t you go to your grandfather more, see how your grandfather takes Xi Zimo’s military power back into our hands, and learn his strategy.”
The Seventeenth Prince reluctantly felt relieved and nodded. Seeing that Jia and the Empress were in a good mood, he was a little reluctant to leave for a while, and moved to Jia and the Empress like a child, "Mother's Queen."
Empress Jiahe was indeed in a good mood, she indulged the Seventeenth Prince a little more than usual, she was not in a hurry to drive the Seventeenth Prince back to the academy, and looked at the Seventeenth Prince patiently.
"Before I came, at Xiujia Building, I saw Eunuch Li next to Father and the one who was betrothed to Brother Jiu chatting together. I don't know if they talked about Huaizhou."
"Why do you always pay attention to her?" Empress Jiahe's tone was loose and casual, and she didn't take Jiang Rao seriously, "Even if she knows, what's the use? Can you go to the mountains in Huaizhou to find out?"
"But she was the one who rescued brother Jiu back in Yecheng, and last time, didn't she let the emperor scold the empress in front of others?"
Empress Jiahe was reminded by him, and when she remembered the luncheon in the palace, her complexion became much uglier, and she frowned, "What you said makes sense."
She said impatiently: "At this juncture, we can't let a little girl mess things up."
…
A month later, the people Emperor Zhaowu sent out to look for Xi Zimo and Rong Ting still found nothing, and Emperor Zhaowu finally made the news public.
The Lingnan area, which was originally under the jurisdiction of Xi Zimo's troops, was temporarily under the control of Xi Zimo's deputy until Emperor Zhaowu found a suitable candidate.
It's another new year.
On the day when the news of Rong Ting's disappearance came out, the queen fell to her knees and cried bitterly for a whole day.
After crying, I fell into a serious illness, which took a few days to recover.
Concubine Yun felt sick when she thought of the empress' hypocrisy. When she was alone with Jiang Rao, she couldn't help scolding Emperor Zhaowu, "The empress's tears are so fake, maybe the illness is also fake, the emperor still believes it?"
"Even if the emperor has his own ideas in mind, this scene has gone too far."
No matter what Concubine Yun Gui said, Jiang Rao still hugged the stove, sat quietly on the couch, lowered her eyebrows and lowered her eyes, without saying a word.
It was too quiet.
Concubine Yun Gui glanced at Jiang Rao, saw that she had scolded the Queen and the Emperor together, and she didn't say anything. She stopped scolding, sat beside Jiang Rao, and hugged Jiang Rao, "Niannian, there is no news, It’s not that they can’t be found, it’s not that they only found the bones of General Xi, but not His Highness the Ninth Prince.”
Jiang Rao still didn't respond.
Concubine Yun held her tightly in her arms.
She hoped that the marriage that her little niece wanted would go smoothly. Jia and the empress acted like a villain, and her pretended motherly appearance made her sick, but she didn't believe what she said just now.
Even people like Xi Zimo who have been marching and fighting outside the country all year round have not survived, Rong Ting may be really in danger.
Concubine Yun's voice became hoarse, and she finally confided in her heart, "My condolences."
"Don't be too hard on yourself."
"I won't be overwhelmed."
At this moment Jiang Rao got out of Concubine Yun Gui's arms.
"Now in Huaizhou, the flames of war are gone, and the epidemic has also been suppressed."
She didn't cry, her eyes weren't red, but her tone was very calm, as if she couldn't see Concubine Yun's surprised expression, she counted with her fingers: "If you leave tomorrow and travel overnight, it will take about ten days. If you can go to Huaizhou, search for people in the mountains, search the whole mountain, if there are many people who can help, it will take about four or five days, and you need to bring more silver. Some places are steep, and it doesn’t take much. I’m afraid no one wants to go to order money, so you must bring enough money. If you can’t find it after searching, you have to search a second time.”
She muttered about the calculations for a long time, her eyes lit up, and said to Concubine Yun Gui with a smile: "Auntie, did I make a mistake in my calculations? I've done so many calculations, I'm sure I can't be wrong."
There were no tears in her eyes when she lowered her head, but there were tears in her eyes when she smiled. Concubine Yun Gui frowned and looked at her, feeling a little scared in her heart, and took Jiang Rao's hand, "You won't really go Bar?"
Jiang Rao didn't look at her, but just looked out the window, the look in her eyes was very light, she was immersed in her own world, as if she couldn't listen to other people's persuasion.
And it is true.
Concubine Yun grabbed Jiang Rao's arm and told Jiang Rao to turn her head and look at her, "If you can't find it after the first search, then you can search it a second time. If you can't find it after the first and second times, do you want to stay in Huaizhou forever?" ?”
Jiang Rao fell silent.
"Are you crazy?"
Jiang Rao smiled faintly, "I'm not crazy."
The more she laughed, the more Concubine Yun was startled, her smile was uglier than crying, she might as well cry in front of her face, tightly clutching Jiang Rao's arm.
"Auntie, don't stop me. If I don't look for it myself, I will feel uneasy." Jiang Rao still smiled, and her tone was still calm, "I should go to prepare the carriage."
She lightly brushed Concubine Yun's hand away, "Regardless of whether something happened or not, he is still in Huaizhou. It doesn't matter if it's a person or something else."
Her timid nature made her dare not even say the word "bones", but her tone was very firm, "I will come back when I find him, I want to bring him back."
Seeing her like this, Concubine Yun was unable to utter a single word of persuasion.
Some people seem to be soft-tempered, well-behaved and obedient, but they are not without backbone. When she really makes up her own mind, her temper is so tough that ten cows can't be pulled back.
Concubine Yun no longer persuaded her.
Jiang Xingzhou and Jiang Qin didn't persuade him either.
Jiang Xingzhou even regretted that he didn't agree to their marriage earlier.
Even if he gets married first, his daughter will be a widow after Rong Ting's accident, and he doesn't care about other people's opinions and opinions, as long as he fulfills his daughter's long-cherished wish.
It's better than letting my daughter think about it all the time when the marriage is not yet completed, causing an untouchable scar in my heart.
This kind of scar on my heart, once I think of it, it will hurt again.
He indulged Jiang Rao to go to Huaizhou, not only that, but also let Jiang Jinxing follow along.
He was afraid that his daughter would be the same as the plots sung in the play. If he couldn't find anyone, he would end up thinking about dying for love. Now he has to take care of Ning Anbo's house inside and out, and he and Jiang Qinshi are inseparable. It's better to ask Jiang Jinxing to follow her, so that when her daughter can't think about it, she can take a look at her younger brother and think about her family.
Jiang Rao didn't know what his father was thinking, but when he saw Jiang Jinxing following up, he was taken aback for a moment.
She had just accompanied Ming Shao to order the silver and supplies she had brought, and asked Ming Shao to hand them over to the leader of the escort agency. Seeing Jiang Jinxing walking over in a calm manner with a small burden on his back, she felt a little nervous. Surprised, "Why are you here?"
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Jiang Jinxing didn't say a word, Ming Shao and the bodyguard were well connected, and when she came back, she saw Jiang Jinxing's figure, she wanted to cheer Jiang Rao, who was unhappy, and said to Jiang Rao with a smile: "The young master is probably here to protect the girl."
Jiang Rao is in a bad mood, Ming Shao tries to make Jiang Rao happy.
Compared with when I was a child, my head and body were round, and I walked like a ball rolling on the ground. After I started to grow my head, I lost weight quickly. Both my body and my face are much more handsome.
Especially when he didn't speak, kept his mouth shut, and stood there quietly, he looked like a handsome young man from a family.
It's just that it's not that flattering at first.
First he frowned and glanced at Ming Shao, as if dissatisfied with Ming Shao's words just now, he repeated twice, "Huaizhou has a beautiful scenery, I'll go there to see the scenery", while getting on his horse, he looked at him with some distaste. Jiang Rao, "Hurry up and get on the carriage, don't delay my journey."
Jiang Rao got into the carriage, and after driving out, she lifted the curtain on the window, looked out, and saw Jiang Jinxing riding behind her carriage, she shook her head.
He clearly came to protect her, but he said he wanted to go south to see the scenery.
He grew up day by day, as if he had reached a particularly tangled age, he was not as honest as he was when he was a child, and he became more and more duplicity.
…
Two days later, I arrived at Qiliu Town, and drove the journey day and night for two days and one night. Seeing that no matter whether it was a maid or a coachman, Jiang Rao planned to rest in Qiliu Town for one night, and continue on the road tomorrow. .
After arriving at Qiliu Town, Jiang Rao ordered Jiang Ping and a few other servants to go to the ferry to rent a few boats to change the waterway. He was accompanied by Ming Shao and his guards to book an inn for the night.
Ming Shao followed Jiang Rao, looking at Jiang Rao's back. In the past few years when she was walking outside, she rarely saw Jiang Rao wearing a conical hat. Now she doesn't know whether she started to pay attention to the rules after Jiji, or whether she was taboo when she got married. don't need her to say,
Just, go so fast.
Ming Shao hurried to catch up, "Girl, aren't you tired?"
Rushing through the night almost exhausted everyone's strength, not to mention them, let alone the girl who had never done any work.
"A little tired."
Jiang Rao is honest.
Although she said so, she followed the plaques on both sides of the street with her eyes, looking for the location of the inn, without stopping at all.
Tiredness and exhaustion are more important things than not feeling well.
After walking four or five inns in a row, all of them were full of family members. Jiang Rao thought about it in her heart. Now that the new year has just passed, maybe the inn is for those who are anxious to make money and go on business routes to book first. It is also possible. I can't book a room, so I might as well leave directly by boat tonight.
It's just these people who have to suffer with her.
Jiang Rao knew how to be sympathetic to his servants, so he kept in mind what he owed them, and when he returned from Huaizhou this time, he would promote those who should be promoted and those who should be rewarded.
Even if other people don't think so, she feels in her heart that she can find Rong Ting and go back to Jinling.
She could more or less guess what others thought. Not only others, but even her parents and aunt felt that her trip might be a waste of effort and she would never get anything back. Only she didn't think so.
In the dream, his legs were weak and shriveled like an octogenarian, and he was able to climb to the position that everyone feared. Now that his leg injury is healed, and he no longer has that cruel temperament that makes people hate him, his situation will only be better.
It must be found.
Even if she was a little self-deceiving, she could only think this way, if she didn't think this way, her heart hurt too much, and she couldn't stand the pain.
When she walked to the eighth inn, there were guests leaving, Jiang Rao quickly booked all the empty rooms, she finally found a place to stay, she was finally relieved, and sent someone to follow the waiter in the inn , went to the best restaurant here and spent a lot of money to buy a lot of good food and came back to reward the people who came to Huaizhou with her. I didn't feel in the mood to eat, so I went to the room to rest.
From the corner of his eyes, Jiang Jin saw that Jiang Rao went back to the room first, took two bean paste buns that he had brought out from Jinling, and followed them up the stairs, threw one to Jiang Rao, and sat cross-legged directly in front of the couch. "You are better than those crying women, but you have to eat."
"If you don't eat more, your body will collapse before you reach Huaizhou, and you are not a real fairy. You can live by drinking some dew."
The child's mouth became weaker day by day, and he winked and looked disgusted, but it happened to calm Jiang Rao.
Jiang Rao was really afraid that as Jiang Jinxing said, he would collapse before arriving in Huaizhou, so he looked down at the bean paste bun, tore a small piece, and took a small bite.
Jiang Jinxing looked at her for a long time, and his voice suddenly softened a lot, "Sister, don't worry."
"Brother-in-law is sure to be fine."
His eyes were shining, and he said with some admiration: "I have never seen anyone as beautiful as his kung fu, and even my martial arts masters can't compare."
Jiang Rao felt a little weird.
Others said something happened to Rong Ting, but she stubbornly felt that they were all wrong.
But when her younger brother came to tell her that Rong Ting was fine, did she feel uneasy
Jiang Rao burst into tears.
I don't know if it's because Jiang Jinxing is usually too unscrupulous, and nothing she says is right, she is like this.
Seeing her like this, Jiang Jinxing fell back weakly.
It's over, it's not troublesome at first, but now he said it in one sentence, it's as troublesome as those crying women.
"It's all right."
The more he talked about Jiang Rao, the more he cried.
Jiang Jinxing: "..."
"I won't say it, I won't say it." He finally closed his mouth, biting Jiang Rao's unfinished bean paste bun, walked out of Jiang Rao's room backwards, and went to the innkeeper to change his room to Jiang Rao's. The one next to it.
The innkeeper readily agreed, and asked Xiaoer to help carry his luggage up.
After Jiang Jinxing changed the room, he went back upstairs. He didn't notice that after he turned around, the eyes of the innkeeper and Xiao Er became sinister, and they looked at each other silently as if they were discussing something.
…
Jiang Rao's habit of sleeping in bed has not changed, and it is still difficult to fall asleep at night, tossing and turning several times.
Usually at this time, Ming Shao heard her turn over and would definitely have a few words with her, but today he didn't.
She couldn't sleep and gradually didn't want to sleep anymore. She got up quietly, lit the candles by herself, and began to look at the topographical map of Quezhi Mountain in Huaizhou.
After lighting the candle, she glanced at Ming Shao who had spread out a mat and slept in the room. Jiang Rao was a little helpless, thinking that she was really exhausted from the rush these few days.
She looked at the terrain map by herself, and remembered the ravines and ravines in her heart. She waited for the smell of smoke. At first she thought it was because she didn't often light candles and lit something else. Thick smoke seeped in, and Jiang Rao suddenly noticed something was wrong.
She put down the sheepskin map and shook Ming Shao, but Ming Shao kept her eyes closed and her body was so heavy that she couldn't wake up.
Jiang Rao tested that she was still breathing, got up quickly, and opened the door to find someone.
The door was locked from the outside.
She yelled twice, but no one came.
Jiang Rao suddenly realized that this was someone else's trap.
The fire outside was getting brighter and brighter. Jiang Rao bit her lower lip and looked around. Except for the water in the pot, there was no water in the room to put out the fire.
The smoke was too choking, she instinctively soaked the veil with tea, covered her face, looked at the closed door, and cast her gaze to the window lattice.
I walked over quickly and pushed it twice, but it was also locked from the outside.
Jiang Rao coughed twice, didn't have much time to think, took out the dagger at his waist, and chopped dozens of times at the wood in the center of the window lattice, but the wood was not broken, and he was in despair when the door was knocked open.
Jiang Jinxing's panting figure stood in front of the door, clutching his arms, and he was the one who knocked open the door with his body just now.
He was choked up by smoke in his sleep, and he knew about the fire later than Jiang Rao, but he was stronger than Jiang Rao, smashing the window and running out first.
One window, one door, Jiang Jinxing is not as tall as Jiang Rao even though he has grown his head in the past few years, and he is trembling obviously in extreme pain.
"This inn is a den of thieves. Just now I saw a dark figure slipping out of the courtyard. Since the rooms are locked, the courtyard door is probably locked. The boss and the waiter have problems. They came with us and ate. The vegetables they led to buy were all unconscious, and only the two of us were awake."
Enduring the pain, he and Jiang Rao carried Ming Shao to the inn yard. Jiang Rao patted Ming Shao's face a few times but she still didn't wake up.
Jiang Jinxing's face turned red, and he dug out the 18th generation ancestors of the inn owner and the waiter, and cursed all over, then turned around cursingly, and wanted to help Jiang Rao carry Ming Shao on his back, and go out together.
"Don't scold for now." Jiang Rao stopped Jiang Jinxing who wanted to bring Ming Shao along, "Bringing her will only cause inconvenience and delay time."
"You go out by yourself first, and quickly find someone to come back to put out the fire. The fire is not big at the moment, and no one will be injured if you find water. I will try to see if I can wake up others."
"I can't wake up, I tried earlier." The anger on Jiang Jinxing's face was concealed, his whole body was trembling, and he didn't know if it was from anger, or if it hurt too much to open the window and door just now, "Don't stay too far away from me, then The black shadow that jumped out of the way is clearly a skilled person, if you are alone, I am afraid that something will happen."
She was the one who protected this younger brother before, but now listening to him talking like this, Jiang Rao was so smoked, her eye sockets were a little sore, Jiang Jinxing took a look at her expression, frowning like a little old man, full of sadness , he slapped her on the arm and said fiercely, "Don't cry, climb the wall."
Jiang Rao: "..."
The courtyard wall of this inn is too high, Jiang Rao moved the wooden barrels in the courtyard and stepped on them to climb up.
Knowing in her heart that wasting effort for a while could kill her, after riding on the top of the wall, she stared at the wall to balance her body, never thinking about looking down.
She knew that if she saw it, she would definitely be scared.
If you are afraid, you will waste your time.
Jiang Jinxing also climbed onto the wall, looked at Jiang Rao and didn't dare to open his eyes, looked down for Jiang Rao, and said to her, "You can jump, just right, there is a pile of firewood over there."
As soon as his words fell, Jiang Rao jumped down.
Afraid or afraid.
But those maidservants and guards came because of her, if they lost their lives because of her, it wouldn't work.
The sound of the horse's hoof running from nowhere was mixed in the sound of the wind in her ear, and the sound of the horse's hoof made the ground vibrate.
Maybe someone came to put out the fire.
This thought flashed briefly, and Jiang Rao's heart became more at ease, and she fell into the pile of firewood, but she didn't hear the sound of the firewood breaking, but only a dull sound.
Her feet didn't even touch the ground.
Jiang Rao subconsciously thought that she was caught by Jiang Jinxing who jumped down first, but also felt that with her younger brother's small body, it was absolutely impossible.
What's more, my brother asked her to dance first.
Opening her eyes, she suddenly realized that the person who caught her had a smell of medicine that she was all too familiar with, and she was slightly startled.