The horse galloped in the silent night, and after an unknown amount of time, He Yan reined in the reins and stopped the horse.
This is an empty market, and the vendors have already gone home now. This strong-tempered girl has been shaking since she got on the carriage. At this moment, it seems that the medicine has passed a little, and she can speak. She is soft and has no strength: "Let me go."
He Yan helped her off the horse and sat down at the door of a tofu shop.
Fang Cai was in a hurry, and didn't take a serious look at what the girl was born to look like. It was only by the faint light of the lanterns hanging under the eaves of the tofu shop that I could see that the girl was indeed beautiful. Delicate and soft, white and tender, with delicate eyebrows, but her cheeks are a little chubby, and she looks a little childish. She should be young, at most similar to Cheng Lisu.
Just such a little girl, she was dressed like a demon by the people of Wanhua Pavilion, wearing inappropriate tulle clothes, heavy makeup, and shivering coldly.
As soon as she sat down, the girl shrank back and looked at He Yan vigilantly: "Who are you?"
He Yan was stunned for a moment, then regained his senses, thinking that this girl probably recognized herself as a flower thief. Then he tore off the kerchief and said with a smile, "Don't be afraid, I'm the one who came to save you. It's just that it was inconvenient to show up just now, so I covered my face with a kerchief. Didn't I scare you?"
Under the moonlight, the youth who ripped off the cloth towel had delicate eyebrows and soft words, teaching people to gradually let go of their guard.
"How do you know..." She was still struggling to speak, and He Yan took out a ball of paper from her sleeve: "I found this one you threw out. I heard that Wanhua Pavilion forced Liang to be a prostitute and kept it hidden. In the teahouse next to Wanhua Pavilion, take your carriage along with you."
He Yan looked at the girl: "Are you okay? They didn't hurt you, did they?"
It's okay not to say this. As soon as she said this, the girl's eyes suddenly turned red. She stretched out her hand tremblingly, but she saw ten fingers were swollen and scary, and she didn't know if they were caught by something.
The girls in the brothel, especially the new ones, even if they don't understand the rules and lessons, their mother will not use methods that will leave marks on their bodies. After all, the girl still has to go out to entertain guests. If her body is blue and purple, it will spoil the appetite of the guests. Therefore, they came up with such torture methods.
He Yan looked a little distressed. Whose daughter was spoiled like this, her parents would be heartbroken. She softened her voice and asked, "Girl, where is your home? I'll take you home first."
"Home?" The girl froze for a moment, looked at He Yan, and answered after a while, "My home is in Shuojing..."
"Suo Jing?" Now it was He Yan's turn to be stunned, "Are you kidnapped?"
"Forget it." The little girl said: "I am, I escaped from marriage. I originally wanted to go to Yangzhou, but I went to the wrong direction on the way and came to Liangzhou. I just wanted to stay in Liangzhou for a few days and then left. Sun Ling saw it." She said bitterly, "If I go back to Shuojing, I will definitely make them look good!" At the end, she almost gritted her teeth.
He Yan: "..."
This little girl looked soft and weak, and she was too courageous. Dare to run from Shuojing to Liangzhou by yourself? What's the matter, is it fashionable for teenagers and girls in Beijing to run away from marriage? A Cheng Lisu is like this, so is this little girl now.
He Yan said: "Did you come alone? Are there people you know in Liangzhou, where are you staying?"
The little girl shook her head.
He Yan was also in trouble. How could such a big man bring her back to the inn? Xiao Jue probably won't beat herself to death, although they will go to the Sun magistrate's mansion for a banquet in a few days, although she only intercepted someone from Sun magistrate's son tonight.
The little girl seemed to see He Yan's embarrassment, and sat up with difficulty. , when I return to Shuojing, I will let my parents repay you. You can do whatever you want, gold and silver jewelry, luxury houses and beauties. Whatever your name is, I will go back... "
"Little girl, you can't protect yourself now," He Yan supported her forehead, "It's hard to say whether you can get out of Liangzhou City, let alone something so far away."
"So what?" The other party avoided her gaze and said with red eyes, "I won't beg you anyway."
The young masters and young ladies who came from Shuojing are all very temperamental. He Yan thought, being tough is a good thing, but it's not so good just after being easily broken. If Cheng Lisu was here, he could bend and stretch, and if he entered the Wanhua Pavilion, he would be able to avoid a lot of pain.
He Yan pulled her up: "Let's go?"
"Where?"
"Of course it's my place. This girl," He Yan said helplessly, "I just kidnapped you, and I think it won't be long before Young Master Sun will search the whole city for your traces. At such a big night, you have nothing to do with it. You can go, but in the end, Sun Ling will not find him. He will only torture you even more. I worked hard all night, is it because of this result? "
The little girl didn't have the strength yet. She was supported by He Yan and mounted on the horse. Her tone was hesitant: "If you take me home, it will cause you trouble. The Sun family is in Liangzhou with only one hand covering the sky, you..."
The little girl's heart was clear, He Yan rode his horse and said, "Don't worry, my family in Dawei still covers the sky with only one hand."
If it really doesn't work, just move Xiao Jue out, Second Young Master Xiao, isn't he just covering the sky with one hand in Da Wei.
He Yan asked, "I forgot to ask you, what's your name?"
"My name is... Tao Tao," she said.
Tao Tao? This name sounded familiar, as if he had heard it somewhere, He Yan thought about it carefully, but couldn't remember anything. The situation was urgent, and it wasn't the time to mess around with it. When Tao Tao is sent back to the inn, let's cross-examine after tonight.
…
He Yan didn't grow up in Liangzhou City, nor did he know the way to Liangzhou City. Fortunately, she is used to remembering the way, and she found the inn on the same way. Fearing that people would find Sun Ling's horse here, they dismounted with Tao Tao far in front of the inn, patted the horse's butt in the opposite direction, and watched the horse run into the night.
Second Young Master Xiao is very good at picking inns. It is not as lively as the Wanhua Pavilion before, and it seems to be much quieter. When He Yan helped Tao Tao upstairs, there was no one downstairs in the inn. She opened the door and found that Fei Nu was not there, and was relieved.
There is prepared water in the room, He Yan said: "You wash your face first, I have some clean clothes here, you can put them on. It's not good to wear this on your body, you will catch a cold." She gave Cheng Lisu his one. Putting all the clothes in Tao Tao's hands, "You choose what you like to wear."
Tao Tao looked at her and blushed, "You go out."
He Yan then remembered that he is now a man, and said: "Okay, I'm going out, I'll be guarding at the door, you can change it at ease."
After she closed the door, she thought for a while, then slipped out of Xiao Jue's house and put her ear on her head, wanting to hear if Xiao Jue was there.
The lights in the room have been turned off, so I wonder if Xiao Jue is asleep. He Yan said softly, "Captain, commander?"
No one responded, she reached out and knocked on the door lightly, but still no one answered. He Yan stood up straight, hesitated for a moment, and opened the door.
The windows in the room were not closed, and the outside air leaked in. Looking at the moonlight, the bed was neat and tidy, and there was no sign that no one had slept. Xiao Jue was long gone, and neither was the Yin Qiujian he put on the table. This man's sword never left his hand, thinking that he was going out.
He Yan noticed again that there was the familiar Wanxiang Qin on the small table next to her. He Yan curled his lips, slandering in his heart, saying that he was here to repair the piano, but in fact he must be doing something secret in Liangzhou City. Fei Nu is not here either. The master and servant must have gone out to work and didn't bring her at all. It was obvious that they didn't trust her.
Although she knew that Xiao Jue didn't trust her for a long time, and knew that it was reasonable, He Yan still felt a little uncomfortable in her heart. After all, they were also classmates. After knowing each other for so many years, she would not tell others when she went out to work! Really stingy.
She exited Xiao Jue's room again and closed the door to him again.
On the other side, Tao Tao had already changed his clothes. He pushed the door open, and when he saw He Yan, he lowered his head and said, "I have changed."
He Yan pushed her in, "shhh", "There are ears on the wall, come in and talk."
She lit the lamp in the room, and Tao Tao changed into Cheng Lisu's clothes, looking much more handsome. Cheng Lisu's clothes were mostly bright colors, and the robes were worn on the little girl, making the little girl more fair and beautiful. Her eyes were still red, her hair was draped over her shoulders, and she was as good as the snow-white little rabbit He Yan had ever seen. At first glance, she was a pampered girl who was carefully raised by a big family.
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that, but your taste in clothes is really bad." The little rabbit said, and it was not so cute. Tao Tao frowned and pointed to a carp on his clothes, "It's really vulgar."
He Yan: "..."
This young lady, when is it that you still have the mind to observe clothes? Are all the young ladies from Shuojing like this? He Yan pondered that he was not like this before. She coughed lightly and said, "It's a last resort now, so Miss Tao Tao should slow down her clothes first."
She handed over Cheng Lisu's box of hairpins: "Choose one that you don't think is so gaudy and tie up your hair. You can't dress up as a woman right now."
"Why?" Tao Tao was puzzled.
"Sun Ling should soon send someone to look for women who look like you in the whole city. We can't be spared."
When Tao Tao heard the words, he became nervous, "Then what should we do?"
"Don't worry, I'll find a way to take them away. It's so late, you haven't eaten, right? I have some dry food for the road here, and tomorrow morning, I'll ask the inn to make you something hot to eat. There is still tea here, if it's cold or a little cold, you can do it yourself."
Tao Tao rubbed his stomach, and felt hungry just now, so he poured the tea in the teapot by himself. Seeing this, He Yan sighed in his heart. This girl is really simple. After the Wanhua Pavilion incident, it is still so easy to trust others. If you don't meet yourself, change to another person with malicious intentions, as long as you coax a little and put medicine in the tea, you don't have to toss this little girl. Abducted.
Although he left the He family alone back then, he was with the Fuyue Army, so he wouldn't be so dangerous. In this world, it is always harder for women.
She thought to herself that she wanted to keep this matter from Xiao Jue, but now that Xiao Jue and Fei Nu are not around, it is not easy to handle. She originally planned that if Sun Ling's people came to the door and Xiao Jue was there, they wouldn't go into the house to check people. Now that the Buddha is gone, and Xiao Jue's name is moved, others probably think she is lying.
I can only hope that Xiao Jue will come back sooner. He Yan never found himself looking forward to the return of Second Young Master Xiao as he is now.
Tao Tao casually ate a few bites of the dry biscuits and drank a cup of tea, then said, "I won't eat it." Judging from the wrinkled nose she disliked, it was definitely not because she was full, but because she didn't fit in. her taste.
She sat down at the table by herself, tied her hair in front of the bronze mirror, combed it for a while, then turned around and said, "Okay!"
He Yan also felt a little thirsty at the moment, took a cup and was drinking tea, and almost didn't squirt out the tea. The boy's hair was tied up in a mess, as if he had just returned from an escape. She couldn't help but ask, "You... is your hair tied?"
"I didn't comb my hair in the mansion before, but the maid did it for me." The little girl was extremely aggrieved, and threw the comb away, "I won't!"
He Yan: "..."
She walked over helplessly, picked up the comb with a good temper, and said, "No, no, if you get angry, I'll help you."
After saying that, he really held Tao Tao's long hair in his hand and brushed her hair one by one.
Tao Tao was stunned for a moment. The young man reflected in the bronze mirror was gentle and handsome. She couldn't help but ask, "You can even do this?"
"It will take a few more tries." He Yan replied with a smile.
She has been the eldest young master of the He family for many years, but no one knows about the change of identity except for a few people in the second room of the He family. Therefore, He Yan's servants and maids were never allowed to get too close to her. Even tying up the hair can be exposed. So He Yan started to braid her own hair from a very young age.
Not only tying her hair, she had to do anything that might reveal secrets by herself. Over time, he also developed a temperament to do everything by himself. Although sometimes I envy those young masters and young ladies who grew up in the palm of their hands, but after thinking about it, for example, when she encounters such a thing today, she will not cry, many things, relying on herself is always more confident. .
After finishing her hair, He Yan darkened her face and made her eyebrows thicker. She has long been very good at doing this kind of woman disguising as a man. After putting on makeup, Tao Tao looked at herself in the mirror and said in a daze: "Thank you, thank you... You are really good at craftsmanship."
He Yan clapped his hands, "Practice makes perfect. Miss Tao Tao, turn your back, I have to change clothes too."
…
The city of Liangzhou tonight is really lively.
Someone actually robbed Young Master Sun's carriage not far from Sun Magistrate's House. The person in the carriage was Young Master Sun's new concubine, and for a while, the Liangzhou government yamen jumped, vowing to catch the thief.
"Master, Master, that person is clearly her lover!" The guard who had been punched by He Yan before was kneeling on the ground and shouting his grievance, "They are a group, and they deliberately robbed her!"
"She's not from Liangzhou at all, where did she get her lover?" Sun Ling kicked over, "Idiot!"
Sun Ling is now in his thirties and has accomplished nothing. He points to his county magistrate father to live a life, bullying men and women in Liangzhou City, and committing all evils. He was born with a rabbit head and a deer head, and there was a black birthmark on his cheek, which was even more terrifying. There are countless concubines in his house, and there are countless women from good families who have been bullied and discarded by him. The people of Liangzhou dare not speak out, allowing his father and son to cover the sky in the city.
Today, he was intercepted on the way home. A woman is a small matter, and shame is a big deal. For Sun Ling, this is naked and not paying attention to their Sun family!
"The city gate is now blocked." Another guard said: "The woman was injured and should still be in the city. House-to-house investigations can always find out her whereabouts!"
"Idiot," Sun Ling scolded again, "How dare the people in Liangzhou City be so bold and dare to break ground on Tai Sui! Since you said that the person knew that it was the person Sun Ling wanted and dared to do it, naturally I don't know who is alive or dead. Most of them are not from Liangzhou."
"That woman isn't from Liangzhou either, they might be a group!" said the previous guard again.
"It doesn't matter if he is a gang or not. If he dares to go against my Sun family, he must be prepared to die! Say it again, what does that person look like?"
"He was covering his face at the time, so he couldn't see what he looked like. About seven feet or more, he was a head shorter than me, and he was thin, but he was dressed very richly. The material of his clothes didn't look like ordinary goods." Recalling his brains, "In short, it should not be poor."
Sun Ling thought for a moment and said, "I see."
The two guards looked at him in unison.
"The people in the city continue to block the city gate, and the rest of the people, follow me to check the inn!"
"Inn? Young master, why is this?"
Sun Ling scolded: "A idiot is a idiot, don't think about it, since most of them are not from Liangzhou, they live in an inn! You say that this person is dressed in wealth, and it is impossible to live in a crude inn, you can find those good ones who spend a lot of money. Inn, isn't it?"
"So that's the case," the two guards quickly praised: "Young Master is wise, Young Master is wise!"
"Hmph," Sun Ling smiled proudly, and the birthmark on his cheek looked even more terrifying. He said negatively, "How long has it been since then that I have seen such a person who is not afraid of death in Liangzhou City? Who is so bold. And that slut, who really doesn't know how to flatter him, and does this over and over again, I'm afraid he doesn't know how powerful I am."
"Don't let one go!"
…
The night in the city seemed to be illuminated by torches. It was supposed to be the time to go to bed, but every household was awakened by the sound of horses' hooves. The yamen and city guards rushed into the civilian's house and checked them one by one.
It stands to reason that this should not be the case, but it is not a day or two for the Sun family to abuse their private power. Hearing that Sun Ling's concubine was kidnapped, many people secretly scolded her.
"Bah, nonsense, where did the concubine come from, and grow into such a respectable face, even if the wealthy people of Wanguan can't look down on it, she must be an innocent girl who went to kidnap. What is the difference between this kind of behavior and a robber? Who would dare to snatch it so clearly?"
"Isn't the person kidnapped? Which righteous person can't bear to watch this before he shot."
"If it is a righteous person, I will pray in front of the Bodhisattva every day that he is safe and healthy, and that he will not be caught by the surnamed Sun!"
"Hey, the world has changed."
Naturally, these voices did not dare to blatantly appear in front of the officers and soldiers. They only whispered after the people left, and dispersed into the night very quickly, leaving no trace.
The inns in the city were also slaughtered tonight, and the shopkeeper's assistant, as well as the guests upstairs, were pulled out and questioned one by one. If it seems that the family is wealthy, it is even more careful cross-examination, and even a fly is not spared in the house.
He Yan was sitting beside the bed, the light was off, and only a little moonlight came in from the window. It's already late at night, Xiao Jue and Fei Nu have not come back yet, she thought, could these two not come back? Just like those poor families who can't afford extra children, they take their young sons to the crowded streets and lie to the children to buy candy. In a blink of an eye, people disappear, and they leave their flesh and blood on the side of the road.
Xiao Jue abandoned her? Then she is too pitiful! With only so much money on his body, he still has to pay for the inn’s room tomorrow, he has to eat, and he has to go back to the Liangzhou guardhouse. Is this something that people can do? If this is the case, tomorrow she will go and sell the tuberose next door. He Yan was thinking wildly, whether this person will come back in the end, if not, she and Tao Tao will just share a room tonight, and it will not be wasted.
Just thinking about it, Tao Tao, who was also sitting on the side of the cave, whispered, "You won't run away, will you?"
"Ah?" He Yan was surprised.
"They said that Sun Ling is very powerful in Liangzhou, and everyone is afraid of the power of the Sun family. I have asked many people for help before. When those people heard that it was Sun Ling, no one dared to help."
When Tao Tao said this, he looked indignant. She was living in Wanhua Pavilion at that time, and it was not calculated from the beginning. Struggling on the road, I followed the opportunity to call for help. She found a lot of people, there were strong men who looked tall and big, and there were scholars who were full of courtesy and shame. There are old wealthy businessmen who can be her fathers, and there are knights who travel around with knives on their backs. She tried her best to find those who seemed capable of rescuing her, but when they heard that it was Sun Ling's request, they walked away with their tails tucked. Even though she promised thousands of dollars and threw out her identity, no one paid her any attention.
In the end, Tao Tao himself was desperate. When the note was thrown out, she never thought there would be a tomorrow. Just thinking about seeing Sun Ling for real and dying with him. Who knows at the last moment, someone rushed out.
She turned her head to look at the person beside her. The young man tilted his head and didn't know what he was thinking. It was very strange that such a weak and young person would give him an inexplicable sense of security. Perhaps it was the soft smile on her face, or her clear, dust-free eyes.
Tao Tao inexplicably believed in this person, but was a little worried. She said, "A strong dragon can't overwhelm the local snake..."
"You still know this?" He Yan smiled, "Actually, I'm also a local snake, and I'm very good."
Seeing her relaxed expression, Tao Tao also relaxed a little bit. She looked at He Yan and couldn't help but ask the last question, she asked, "The Sun family is so domineering, you are not from Liangzhou, and I don't know if I will recruit you if you save me. What kind of trouble. They don't dare to shoot, why would you save me?"
This kid, why are there so many questions. He Yan turned his head to the side, seeing the little girl looking at her with red eyes, curious and expectant, she couldn't help but reached out and touched her head.
"Because you are a woman." She said silently in her heart: "And I am also a woman."
…
The noise surrounded the entire inn.
The night was red with fire, and people up and down the inn were woken up by the sudden arrival of officials, who stood at the door and questioned them one by one.
Sun Ling stood at the door, his eyes fell on the last room upstairs, and said, "What about that room? Why didn't you open the door?"
The shopkeeper trembled and knocked on the door: "Little son, little son?"
After a long while, someone procrastinated to open the door. It was a delicate young man, wearing a lingerie, and said sleepily, "It's so late, what's the matter?"
Before the words fell, the officers and soldiers went in to search. There is also a book boy in the room, busy dressing the boy: "Master, don't catch a cold."
The officers and soldiers went in and searched, but to no avail, they came out quickly and shook their heads at Sun Ling.
Sun Ling looked at the young man in front of him. The young man was young and looked pampered. His book boy was busy putting on boots for him.
"What are you doing?" He Yan frowned, "Don't say hello."
"Say hello?" Sun Ling sneered, "Joke, there is no place in Liangzhou City where I need Sun Ling to say hello." He looked at He Yan, remembering what the guard had said before, he was about seven feet tall and thin. This boy is exactly that.
"What's your name?" he asked.
"Cheng Lisu." He Yan replied.
With a "snap", the boots in Shutong's hands fell to the ground, and everyone followed their gazes. Sun Ling's expression changed, and he suddenly said, "You, raise your head."
He was referring to the book boy.
He Yan thought badly and asked, "What are you doing? In broad daylight, you still want to rob me, can't you?"
"Your people?" Sun Ling stared at him, his eyes dark, "Don't talk too early. The one on the ground, raise your head for this young master!"
The people on the ground didn't move, they lowered their heads, looked carefully, and their hands were shaking a little.
Seeing this, Sun Ling's expression became more and more hideous. He took a step forward and was about to pull the boy's hair. The next moment, He Yan stood in front of Shutong, and she held Sun Ling's arm: "This son, pay attention to your words and deeds."
"You are the assassin who stole this young master's concubine, right?" Sun Ling laughed, his birthmark was like a ghost tattoo, "You're dead!" He said, "Someone, arrest them both for me!"
"Catch me?" He Yan smiled, and she said, "I advise you to think twice. Do you know who my uncle is?"
Sun Ling asked, "Who is your uncle?"
"My uncle is the current His Majesty who has personally appointed General Feng Yun, and now the Governor of the Right Army, Second Young Master Xiao. Young Master Sun, are you sure you want to arrest me?" He Yan raised his eyebrows.
Sun Ling was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter. Tears came out of his laughter. He pointed to He Yan and asked the people around him, "Did you hear him? Who is his uncle?"
Everyone around was laughing.
"Stinky boy," Sun Ling stopped his laughter, stared at He Yan and said fiercely: "Since your uncle is Xiao Jue, let him come out! What happened to Xiao Jue? I will be in front of your uncle today, I tell you to survive and die!"
"yes?"
An unfamiliar voice sounded from behind him.
Sun Ling turned his head and saw that the young man who was as bright as the moon followed the guards slowly, his voice was low, with a cold mockery.
"You might as well try it."
- off topic -
Yan Yan: If you can't figure it out, just call your parents