After going to Qinglong Temple to worship Buddha and add incense oil, Sui Sui took Chun Tiao to Linghua Temple for a vegetarian meal as usual.
Arriving at the temple, Suisui asked the guards to eat and rest in the outer courtyard, and he and Chuntiao entered the inner courtyard. Ever since the King of Qi went on an expedition to Huaixi, Suisui had to go out of the city to worship Buddha on the full moon day of every month. So he simply rented a two-story Zen courtyard in Linghua Temple, replaced the courtyard with his own mats, mattresses and screens, and rested more comfortably.
The guest monk brought the vegetarian meal in a short while. When the lid of the food box was opened, there was a plate of chrysanthemum cakes on the top. The pastry was fried until crispy, and it looked like a chrysanthemum. There were golden, orange and red chrysanthemum petals sprinkled on it. Let’s not talk about the taste, the color and fragrance were already there. Chun Tiao was surprised and said, "Hey, the cakes today are so exquisite and beautiful. Did you change the cook?"
The guest monk smiled and said, "You are so kind. A new monk has come to our temple to cook. Please try some of the food."
As he spoke, he placed the cakes, dishes and soups on the table.
Chun Tiao picked up the bamboo chopsticks and served the dishes to Sui Sui first. Sui Sui said, "I can eat whatever I want. Sister Chun Tiao, eat by yourself. There are no such rules outside."
The relationship between master and servant was casual, so Chun Tiao was no exception. He took a piece of chrysanthemum pastry and tasted it: "It is delicious, but it has too much oil. My wife is still recovering from her injuries, so she should eat less."
Sui Sui said: "Then I'll eat something else, you eat more."
As he said this, he put the half-eaten chrysanthemum crisp back into the plate, and placed the remaining half of the chrysanthemum crisp on the spring noodles.
Chun Tiao said: "I will not be polite to you, my lady."
While they were eating, the guest monks were cooking tea on a stove in the corridor. By the time they finished their meal, the tea was ready.
Sui Sui and Chun Tiao drank a bowl each. Before they put down their bowls, Chun Tiao's lips began to droop. He muttered, "This is really weird..."
He rubbed his eyes and said to the guest monk: "The effect of the calming tea in your temple is getting better and better..."
Sui Sui smiled and said, "Maybe you got up too early, and you didn't sleep well last night."
Chun Tiao yawned and nodded: "Yes, I heard the sound of rain in the middle of the night, so I got up and closed the window, and I couldn't sleep in the second half of the night."
Sui Sui said, "I'm sleepy too. It's still early. Let's go to the room and sleep for a while before leaving."
He turned to the guest monk and said, "Master, go and do your work."
The guest monk put his hands together and bowed, saying, "I will not disturb you two any more."
There were two beds in the room. Sui Sui took off his outer clothes, and lay down on one bed with Chun Tiao, closing his eyes and pretending to be asleep.
About a quarter of an hour later, I heard the slight creaking sound of a door hinge turning outside, followed by the sound of footsteps approaching. Listening carefully, I could vaguely make out three or four people.
The footsteps were getting closer, and the bamboo curtain made a soft "swish" sound, and those people entered the house.
Then he heard a young man's voice whispering, "Have you given enough medicine? Are you sure they are dead asleep?"
Another shrill voice said, "Don't worry, second brother. Look at the guards outside. They are all fast asleep. They can't even be awakened by thunder, let alone these two bitches."
This "second brother" is probably the leader of the villains, Zhu Erlang, Zhu Hongjin. Sui Sui thought that this was also expected. For the sake of safety, he must personally take charge of the big deal entrusted by the prince of Wu'an Mansion.
A voice said, "Tie them up, be careful not to hurt or tear them."
As soon as the voice fell, someone walked to the bed. Sui Sui was lying on her side, facing inwards. A pair of big hands turned her over. The person swallowed and said, "No wonder she could be a concubine of a rich man. She looks like a concubine in the imperial palace."
As soon as Sui Sui heard this, he understood that these villains did not know that it was the King of Qi's outer residence, but thought that the person they kidnapped was just the concubine of a merchant.
It's no wonder. The King of Qi is famous and if they knew that the people kidnapped were his people, they would inevitably be frightened and might even give up.
However, it is unknown whether Zhu Erlang knew about it.
The other one spat and cursed with a smile: "Have you seen the Queen Mother of the Imperial Palace? Hurry up and stop touching me while I am doing something. Even if Second Brother doesn't say anything, I will chop off your hoof."
The man who started the fight said hurriedly, "You don't need me to tell you. How can I, Wang Balang, not have this little bit of color? Second brother hasn't tasted it yet, how dare I touch it."
One of them smiled and said, "Brothers, do the mission well. Everyone will have a share."
Sui Sui felt nauseous after listening to it, but remained motionless.
Ordinary people would probably tremble and scream in fear in this situation, but Sui Sui just relaxed his whole body, limp as if he was drugged, and let them tie up his hands and feet with hemp ropes, stuff a handkerchief in his mouth, put him in a sack and carry him on their shoulders - luckily they didn't use any materials, they used his own handkerchiefs, otherwise he would have been disgusted again.
The unconscious Chun Tiao was also tied up and put into a sack. Sui Sui was afraid that he would wake up early and be frightened, so he asked the guest monk to put more medicine in it. The medicine did have the effect of calming the nerves and helping sleep, but it was not harmful to the body. The guards were also knocked unconscious by the drugged tea. The drugged pastries had long been replaced by them. Those people might have used some unknown medicine. Even if it was not fatal, it might have other harmful effects. Sui Sui would not let these things enter Chun Tiao and the guards' mouths.
Zhu Erlang and his gang, however, were unaware of the situation and were just feeling complacent, thinking they had come up with a good plan.
They stuffed Chun Tiao and Sui Sui into a vegetable cart, which they had specially prepared. They made a breathable dark box with wooden strips at the bottom, and the vegetables were piled around it. Unless they moved the cart away and took a closer look, no one would be able to find any clues.
Sui Sui felt his body shaking and heard the rumbling sound of wheels, and he knew they were on the road.
My people have already figured out the details of Zhu Erlang and his gang. They know that they have a hidden hideout in Zhaoying Mountain, where they hid out from the limelight when they caused trouble in Chang'an. So they decided to take me and Chun Tiao there.
Not far from Linghua Temple, someone came to pick up the cart in a horse-drawn carriage. Sui Sui and Chun Tiao were moved onto the carriage. The cart carrying vegetables went towards Chang'an City, while they drove straight to the thieves' den.
Zhaoying is thirty miles away from Linghua Temple, and there are still twenty miles of winding mountain roads to Zhaoying. When the carriage finally stopped, the cry of night owls could be heard outside.
"We're finally here." The villains breathed a sigh of relief. Although they often kidnapped women and children, they heard that the woman's husband was a wealthy businessman who had some respect among the powerful in the capital. Kidnapping his concubine was no different from simply abducting and selling a woman.
Listening to the chaotic sounds of horse hooves, footsteps and voices around him, he estimated that there were at least thirty or forty strong men in this bandit den.
While he was still pondering, he was carried onto someone's shoulders again. After walking for about a quarter of an hour, he heard a "creaking" sound outside, and was finally put down. The ground beneath him was soft, as if it were a mattress.
The man took the sack off his body and closed his eyes. He felt a light around him, thinking that a candle was lit.
The man turned her over and checked her hands and feet, which were tied with hemp ropes. He said, "Tsk, Wangbalang, how did you tie the ropes? They have made the woman's snow-white wrists red and rubbed."
Someone cursed with a smile: "Tian Si, you are kind and gentle to women, aren't you afraid that your beautiful girl Cui Xiu will be jealous?"
The man called Tian Si said, "What does that whore have to do with me?"
The first person said: "That woman is a prostitute, this woman will also be sold to the south to be a prostitute."
Tian Si laughed and said, "A whore is different from another whore. I just ask that you eat the meat and leave us two mouthfuls of soup."
When everyone heard this, they became excited and started discussing it.
"Isn't there a round-faced maidservant here? Although her complexion is not as good as this one, she is also very fresh and tender."
"You have to wait until the second brother has tasted it before it's your turn."
"As expected of the second brother, after working hard all day, he still has the energy to fuck two women at night."
"Where's the second brother?"
"I'm going to take a shower in the back."
"Second brother is really particular, he is totally different from us rough people."
"I am also particular about having two such fragrant women to accompany me."
"This drug is really powerful. The two women haven't woken up yet. Could they have been made stupid by the drug?"
"It's better to be stupid, so you don't have to cry and spoil the fun later."
"It's just a few cries. No matter how chaste and virtuous a woman is, she will be completely subdued and willing to do what our second brother does..."
As he was speaking, a sharp scream suddenly came from the side.
The thieves looked in the direction of the sound, and one of them laughed grimly and said, "The maid has woken up. Who stuffed her mouth? The knot has come loose."
Sui Sui thought to himself that it was no good, and ordered his subordinates to estimate the dosage of the medicine, which should at least last until they got rid of all the bandits here. Who knew that Chun Tiao had woken up more than an hour earlier? It should be because he had taken the medicine too many times, and the effect on him was not as good as before.
As a result, Chun Tiao was bound to get a shock.
He didn't care about all this and pretended to wake up slowly, frowned and opened his eyes.
"He's awake too!" shouted the gangster who had been staring at him.
He glanced around and found that this place was a little different from the bandit's den he had imagined. It looked more like the bedroom of a wealthy family. The desk, screen and curtain were all clean and elegant. The screen above the couch was painted with the Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove, which was obviously painted by a famous artist. Beside the couch was a pair of burning red candles as thick as arms, illuminating the red gauze curtain.
On the bed, Chun Tiao was lying on the silk carpet beside the couch, surrounded by seven or eight strong men.
Perhaps those bandits thought that Chun Tiao, a servant girl, was strong and healthy, so they tied her up tighter. The hemp rope even cut into her flesh, which was heartbreaking to watch.
Chun Tiao burst into tears: "My wife, my wife, you are not sensible, are you?"
Sui Sui said: "Don't be afraid, I have no idea."
The gangsters laughed and said, "This beauty is quite interesting. She didn't cry or make a fuss. She was quite calm."
Sui Sui asked: "Where is this?"
Chun Tiao cried fiercely: "Who kidnapped us? You ignorant thief, do you know who our wife is?"
The bandits laughed and said, "Oh, this maid is so arrogant. She is just a star of a merchant family. Why is she acting so high and mighty?"
Chun Tiao was stunned; "What merchant?"
As soon as he finished speaking, someone at the door said, "Second Brother is here, everyone please get out of the way."
The room suddenly fell silent, with only the sound of bamboo curtains and the clatter of boots being heard. A man walked into the room, and all the bandits bowed and said, "Congratulations, second brother."
Sui Sui could not see the person who came from his bed, but the voice sounded like the one he had heard in Linghua Temple: "Brothers, you are tired. Let's go to the kitchen and have a drink and some meat."
Everyone said "Yes, sir" and went out of the room one after another. Someone closed the door.
Chun Tiao was about to cry, and Sui Sui said softly, "Don't be afraid, I'm here."
Harujo didn't know what use it would be in such a situation, but his voice was firm and gentle, without any fear, and he felt inexplicably comforted, as if he could really turn danger into safety.
I wondered why I had such an illusion, and then I heard the young man sneer: "As expected of a woman that the King of Qi likes, she is quite courageous."
As Zhu Erlang spoke, he walked to the bed and lifted the red gauze curtain.
Sui Sui then saw his face clearly. The bandit leader was about twenty-five years old, and was quite handsome. Although he was not as good-looking as Huan Xuan and Huan Minggui, he was still a handsome man among thousands.
However, the fact that he could thrive among the street thugs in Chang'an at such a young age was definitely not due to his looks.
When Chun Tiao saw his face, she forgot to cry for a moment and opened her mouth slightly. It was not because she was bewitched by his beauty, but this man was too different from the thief she had imagined. If she didn't know his identity, she would believe he was just a scholar.
Zhu Erlang saw Sui Sui's thoughtful expression and curled his lips complacently: "Why, I didn't expect that I would look like this?"
Sui Sui asked: "Do you know who we are?"
Zhu Erlang sat down beside the bed and stroked his wrists that were rubbed by the hemp rope: "Those words can only fool those fools. How can a merchant afford a beauty like you?"
Sui Sui understood after hearing this. Zhao Qinghui was using this group of bandits while being on guard against them and concealing his true identity. However, Zhu Erlang was careful and alert and did not believe Zhao Qinghui's words.
"You know who I am and yet you dare to attack me?" Sui Sui said.
Zhu Erlang sneered: "Wealth and honor are achieved through risk."
Sui Sui asked: "Who told you to kidnap us?"
"You don't have to worry about that," Zhu Erlang said, "It's your fault for offending someone you shouldn't have offended."
Sui Sui was silent for a moment and then said, "What are you going to do to us?"
Zhu Erlang extended his index finger and gently stroked Sui Sui's cheek with the back of his finger: "What do you think?"
After a pause, he withdrew his hand and said, "My client ordered me to sell you to the south to be prostitutes..."
Chun Tiao cried out in shock, tears streaming down her face: "No, please let us go..."
Zhu Jilang put his index finger on his lips and said "hush" to Chun Tiao. His face suddenly turned cold: "I don't like noisy and talkative women. You can even let me kill you immediately."
Sui Sui gave Chun Tiao a soothing look.
Chun Tiao could only bite his lips and force himself not to say anything.
"Very good." Zhu Erlang said with satisfaction.
Sui Sui asked, "Do you follow whatever your customers tell you to do?"
Zhu Erlang watched with great interest: "Originally, I accepted money from others, so I should keep my word, but now I have changed my mind. If you have served me well tonight, I can keep you."
Sui Sui tilted his head: "Really? Are you kidding me?"
Zhu Erlang said, "How could I lie to you? There are very few beauties like you in the world. Wouldn't it be a waste to sell you to a brothel?"
Sui Sui pretended to think: "But aren't you afraid that the customer will pursue you?"
Zhu Erlang said: "This is not your concern."
"What about the King of Qi? Even if he comes looking for us, he won't let us go." Sui Sui said.
Zhu Erlang said: "Of course I will take you far away so that he can't find you."
Sui Sui thought for a while, and finally nodded: "Okay, I'll follow you."
Chun Tiao was surprised and his eyes widened: "Wife!"
Sui Sui smiled and said, "Following the King of Qi, I can only be a concubine from outside the palace. I don't know what kind of torture I will have to endure when I enter the palace. It's better to live with this hero. I know you are loyal to me, and I will not forget you even if I get a good place."
Zhu Erlang clapped his hands and said, "What a smart girl, you are right to think so. From now on, you are my first wife, Zhu Er, and tonight is our wedding night. You can only be a concubine with the King of Qi, I am afraid you won't even have a wedding night, right?"
Sui Sui said: "Of course I can't compare to you."
Chun Tiao looked at him in disbelief, tears welling up in his eyes.
Zhu Erlang said: "A night of spring is worth a thousand gold. Don't bother with this little girl. Let us see how we can make you ecstatic. We will keep you warm."
As he said this, he took off the brocade clothes on his body. Chun Tiao screamed "Ah!" and saw that he had a green snake as thick as a bowl tattooed on his body, looking hideous and terrifying.
Zhu Erlang proudly turned around and showed it to Sui Sui: "Madam, do you like it?"
Sui Sui narrowed his eyes and said, "It looks pretty good."
Zhu Erlang laughed, pulled out a dagger from his boot, and cut the hemp rope on Sui Sui's feet. However, he was quite alert and the rope on his wrist was still there.
"Let me see the real Madam."
As he spoke, he leaned towards Sui Sui. When they were about a foot away, he suddenly heard a "hiss" sound. Zhu Erlang felt a sharp pain in his throat and paused. He looked at the woman's smiling face, half of which was stained with blood, in disbelief, as if he had seen an evil ghost.
Clearly her wrists were tied tightly with hemp rope at that moment, but how did they suddenly loosen
Zhu Erlang suddenly raised his hand and touched his throat with trembling hands. His pupils dilated instantly and he gasped for breath, but he couldn't utter a word.
Sui Sui smiled and showed him what was between his fingers. Zhu Erlang could see clearly what had cut his throat. It was just a thin piece of iron about an inch long, sharpened to a blade. However, to cut a man's throat with such a thing, one needed to move very quickly and with precise force. How could an ordinary person do it
He covered his neck and squeezed out three words from between his teeth: "Who are you?"
Sui Sui raised his foot and kicked him in the lower abdomen, knocking him to the ground. He stood up and wiped the blood off his face.
Chun Tiao was still sad for a moment that his wife had changed her mind and was happily going to be the bandit leader's wife. But then something unexpected happened and he didn't have time to see anything clearly. He saw the bandit leader rolling onto the ground, covering his neck with one hand, blood constantly flowing out from between his fingers, while his wife had half her face covered in blood, but she was still smiling!
He fell over with fright and fainted.
Sui Sui glanced at the spring strips, picked up the long sword that he had placed beside the couch, drew it out of its sheath, and without hesitation stabbed Zhu Erlang in the abdomen, saying with a smile, "Your skin is quite nice, what a pity."
Zhu Erlang was twitching on the bed, his eyes almost popping out of their sockets, and soon he lay motionless on the bed.
Sui Sui helped Chun Tiao to the bed, and accidentally bumped into the bed. Chun Tiao woke up slowly: "Mother... my wife..."
Sui Sui said: "Shh, let's talk later, someone is coming."
As he said this, he dragged Zhu Jilang's body behind the screen.
Before he finished speaking, someone outside the door said, "Second brother, you guys are not doing well in there, are you?"
Zhu Erlang lay on the bed like a dead dog and naturally could not answer.
The man muttered, "I heard something wrong just now, maybe something went wrong..."
Another person said: "What can be done? Can't Second Brother handle two women?"
One of them said, "Even if you spend all day hunting geese, you can't guarantee that you won't be pecked by geese... What if that happens? Let's go in and take a look..."
The man knocked on the door as he spoke: "Second brother?"
Naturally, no one answered, and the man couldn't help but said, "I'll go in and take a look..."
As he spoke, he carefully unbolted the door, pushed it open and entered the room. The moment he entered the room, the lights suddenly went out.
A bloody smell wafted into his nose, and he immediately realized that something was wrong, and he wanted to shout, but before he could shout, it seemed as if a gust of wind blew through his throat, and there was a sound like tearing cloth in his ears, and he fell down.
Sui Sui supported the man's body and leaned him against the wall.
The man outside the door heard his companion remain silent for a while, and the candle in the room suddenly went out. He realized something was wrong, so he drew the long knife from his waist, inserted the blade through the crack in the door, and slashed it to both sides before leaning into the room.
At this moment, his wrist was suddenly pinched by someone, and the force was controlled very well, pinching his tendons. His arm couldn't help but soften, his hand loosened unconsciously, and the handle of the knife slipped out of his hand.
The long knife did not fall on the ground, but was caught by someone deftly. Then he turned around and stabbed the knife deeply into the bandit's lower abdomen. Then he slashed the knife downwards and pulled it out. The man fell on the ground, holding his stomach.
After two people came and went without returning, the thieves in the yard realized something was wrong and more than ten people surrounded them.
Sui Sui turned to Chun Tiao and said, "Wait here, don't come out."
After saying that, he pushed the door and walked out.
Chun Tiao was lying on the bed, shivering like a quail. He knew that his wife had learned some sword, knife and fist techniques from His Highness, but it was too weird that she had just killed three people without blinking an eye.
Could it be that he was dreaming? Chun Tiaoren was still tied up and couldn't pinch himself to wake up, so he bit the soft flesh on his cheek hard. It hurt so much that tears came out of his eyes and he gasped and called his mother. But he didn't wake up even after biting so hard, which showed that he was not dreaming.
Chun Tiao could only hear the clanging sound of knives striking each other outside, and from time to time someone would let out a shrill scream, which made his hair stand on end.
He didn't dare to listen, for fear of hearing his wife's voice, but he couldn't help but prick up his ears nervously. Fortunately, those screams were all men's voices.
In the chaos, someone was heard shouting in the distance.
"The fire broke out! The fire broke out!"
"Someone set the fire!"
"Oh no, someone is coming to kill us!"
…
Chun Tiao was terrified and didn't know what to do. The sounds of fighting outside gradually faded away, and the door was pushed open with a "bang" from the outside. Chun Tiao's heart trembled.
Someone walked towards me in the darkness. It looked like a woman, and her stature seemed similar to Lu Suisui. I breathed a sigh of relief and collapsed on the bed, unable to even cry: "My wife... my wife..."
The man drew his knife and cut the ropes on Chun Tiao, grinning, "I am not your wife."
Sure enough, it wasn't Lu Suisui's voice. Chun Tiao's body stiffened and he shrank into the bed: "Who are you? Where's my wife?"
The man used a tinder to light the candle beside the bed. The candlelight reflected a beautiful face with a hint of heroism between her brows: "Don't be afraid, Sister Chun Tiao. Your wife is busy killing people. I am your personal guard."
Chun Tiao was stunned and asked: "What personal guards?"
His Highness has his own guards, but where do my wife get her own guards? Moreover, these guards are women.
The woman laughed and said, "You still don't understand..."
Before he could finish his words, a man walked in with a knife in hand, reeking of blood.
This time it was Lu Suisui.
"Madam! Madam!" Chun Tiao shouted, "Are you not hurt?"
The woman said: "How can a few thieves hurt your wife? Your wife is the most powerful bandit leader in Dayong. You better behave yourself, otherwise I will kill you to silence you..."
Sui Sui patted him on the back and said, "Don't scare the child."
He pulled Chun Tiao up and said, "I'm sorry for making Sister Chun Tiao worried. My last name is not Lu, but Xiao. My real name is Xiao Ling."