CH 6

According to the escorts’ statements, they expected that Chang Xiaohan’s internal strength would be damaged after being fumed all the way by the red goose vine, and He Rao had arranged for killers in Fuhu Mountain to attack him twice. Was she afraid that they would be unable to subdue him?

As a result, there was no surrender.

On that day, as soon as the escorts arrived at Fuhu Mountain, they found an excuse to fetch water and left Chang Xiaohan and Chang Xiaoqiu alone. They first pretended to circle around the stream and then snuck back along a small path, expecting to see two corpses. But they happened to witness Chang Xiaohan dragging along a bloodied Chang Xiaoqiu as he rushed down the hillside, killing the last three bandits with one sword.

Heads flew into the air in a mist of blood, and the escorts’ legs became weak in horror. Only then did they realize that Chang Xiaohan was not affected by the poisonous fumes at all. Fortunately, he didn’t seem to realize that there were traitors in the team, telling everyone to pack up and leave quickly. So the escorts took advantage of the situation to conceal the truth and planned to find new opportunities along the way.

They continued adding poison to Chang Xiaoqiu’s wound medicine, calculating that he would die on the eve of arriving at Baihe Mountain Village. As for how to deal with Chang Xiaohan, because they mostly stayed in the forest at night while on the road, they couldn’t find any chance to continue poisoning him, and were not sure they could win a head-to-head battle, so they decided to bide their time for now – it was only that they didn’t expect Liu Xian’an to say that the wound medicine was poisoned. Seeing that their evil deeds were about to be exposed, in order to protect themselves, they had no choice but to take a risk.

“So they don’t know anything about the situation in Fuhu Mountain.” Liang Shu took a wet handkerchief from a guard. His eyes lowered slightly as he slowly wiped his palms. “Now that they have no use, clean them up. As for He-furen from the Wanli Escort Bureau, if she had a pearl in her hand, she may have other good things, so keep an eye on her and don’t allow her to flee.”

Gao Lin nodded, and probed again: “Those pearls are really rare. According to what the prince saw, could they be related to the unsolved case of the previous dynasty?”

“That is why I told you to keep an eye on her.” Liang Shu rubbed his sore neck. “Rest, we’ll get up early and go on our way.”

Gao Lin beckoned to five guards, and dragged the group of escorts, still struggling and screaming, into the depths of the mountain. Sharp blades unsheathed together gleamed with cold light, and in just a moment, all sounds vanished.

Eyes rolling back, the single lucky one who was left alive fainted under a tree. But senseless or not, it didn’t take long for two guards to tie him up and throw him on a horse, galloping all the way to the Wanli Escort Bureau.

A-Ning quietly wrapped himself up tight in a blanket. Although he was used to seeing life and death in Baihe Mountain Village, there was still a huge difference between someone dying of illness and killing someone with a knife. As for Liu Xian’an beside him, as always, he remained unresponsive. There was no telling whether he was indifferent to this kind of deathly scene, or if he was simply wandering the spiritual realm.

So passed the night. In the early morning of the next day, the guards began to move with a rustle. Liu Xian’an yawned, and stood up to stretch his muscles and bones a few times. His eyes were still closed, and he only managed to open them a small slit to identify the direction of the carriage, then “floated” over with one kick.

It was impossible to sleep well in the wild forest by a bright fire, so he was truly sleepy at this time, so sleepy that he crawled into the carriage with his hands and feet. As soon as the curtain was lifted, he slanted toward the corner where he usually sat, but instead of leaning into the comfortable cotton cushion, he sat straight in the firm arms of His Royal Highness.

“Hiss!” Liu Xian’an stood up in shock, but in his inattention, his head hit the roof with a bang. The buzzing sounded in his ears for a long time, making him even more dizzy.

A-Ning stood outside the carriage and gave a quiet sigh, deeply puzzled as to why the prince always ran inside. If he really loved riding in carriages so much, why didn’t Lieutenant General Gao prepare one in advance? His young master’s carriage was not spacious, and the prince was so tall, wasn’t it crowded to sit in there?

Taking into consideration that everyone still had to travel together for many days, A-Ning couldn’t hold back in the end and went to Gao Lin, asking politely if they could buy a big carriage for the prince or a pony for his young master when they got to the next city.

Gao Lin understood his current mood very well, but no matter how much he understood, he could only hide his conscience and continue to be perfunctory. At the same time, he hoped that his lord could find a new way to relieve his boredom as soon as possible, and stop harassing Second Young Master Liu for no reason.

Liu Xian’an sat on the other side of the carriage, rubbing his aching head. He still didn’t understand why the other party had appeared here. Taking a closer look, his padded pillows had all been requisitioned, and the sachet embroidered with silver silk was hooked on the fingertips of the other party, swaying slowly with the bumps of the wheels. 

“…….”

Liang Shu said: “When I got up early, I felt a headache, so I thought of borrowing the carriage to rest for a while. I hope I didn’t disturb Young Master Liu?”

“No.” Liu Xian’an shook his head lightly and spoke again: “The sachet is filled with many calming flowers and herbs, which can relieve headaches a bit. If the prince doesn’t dislike it, he can wear it close to his body in the future. It is also good for sleep.”

“Since that is the case, this lord will not be polite.” Liang Shu put the sachet into his sleeve with poise, but didn’t intend to go out, as if he was addicted to it. Naturally, Liu Xian’an couldn’t drive him away. In fact, logically speaking, it was not impossible to lie down where he was now, but it was only suitable for young boys like A-Ning who were not fully grown to lie down. For a slightly taller person such as Liu Xian’an, he could only straighten his back and feel sore all over. When they arrived at the next village, he had to stand in an open space and move his hands and feet for a long time.

Gao Lin carried two big pots of water to the tea shack, and didn’t need to look closely to know that his prince should be in a good mood at the moment.

He just snatched the carriage of Second Young Master Liu once, and it was like he was enjoying a spring breeze. Then if there was another chance in the future to pull a certain person’s hair, wouldn’t he soar into the air on the spot?

Thinking of this, the corners of Gao Lin’s mouth twitched. Must not ask, asking is embarrassing.

So, for the rest of the journey, Liang Shu lay comfortably in the carriage. Liu Xian’an didn’t care much about this, but only wondered if he could find a way to continue talking about his sister since they had such a long time alone. But Liang Shu knew what was going on in his mind, so he didn’t cooperate, closing his eyes every time he entered the carriage like a peerless sleeping immortal.

Until A-Ning bought a horse in the next town, Second Young Master Liu didn’t find a chance to speak.

“My lord.” On this day, while Liu Xian’an was riding a horse on the mountain road, Gao Lin also squeezed into the carriage. “We will be entering Fuhu Mountain in three days. Everything that should be disguised has been disguised, but Chang Xiaohan killed a group of their accomplices a few days ago and there is no telling if they will still have the courage to show up again.”

Liang Shu said: “People will die for riches. As long as we carry the gold to redeem someone, they have no reason not to dare.”

Gao Lin asked again: “What about Second Young Master Liu? Do you want him to stay temporarily in town at the foot of the mountain?”

“No need.” Liang Shu closed his eyes again. “We will take him into the mountain with us.”

Gao Lin: “…….”

There is no need for this.

He glanced out the window and saw that Liu Xian’an was still unskillfully riding the little mare, walking slowly. He used this kind of posture even on the flat official road, which was not as dangerous as the road on Fuhu Mountain. With these skills, he was obviously unable to participate in the suppression of bandits, so for the prince to insist on taking this person into the mountains, there may be only one purpose – to first toss him around, and then scare him.

Ai, how could he put it, people could be so wicked.

In this way, they traveled all the way to Fuhu Mountain.

Before entering the mountain, His Royal Highness Xiao-wang still left most of the troops and A-Ning in a nearby village on the grounds that “it is inappropriate to be too ostentatious. He was accompanied only by Gao Lin, several guards carrying the ransom, and Second Young Master Liu, “in case the hostage is injured and needs quick treatment from a doctor.”

Oh, there was also the coachman. He was driving the carriage on the mountain at this time, and inside the carriage was the luxurious and indolent Royal Highness Xiao-wang. 

Gao Lin: “…….”

He committed a big sin.

Riding his horse closely two steps away, he protected Liu Xian’an’s side so that he would not roll down the mountain.

After these days of practice, Liu Xian’an’s riding skills had actually improved by leaps and bounds, but no matter how much progress was made, the mountain road was really rugged. It was wide at first, but then became narrower and steeper. The little mare carried the person on its back, stepping one hoof after another in an alarming and difficult way, but fortunately it did not kick out and quit at the end.

The entire mountain was bathed in golden sunlight. Looking up, one could see the green and blue shadows of the clouds, and there was a kind of deep, majestic silence.

Liu Xian’an seldom went out, so he naturally had never seen this magnificent scenery, but at the moment, he was really not in the mood to carefully appreciate the sounds of nature. He was too sunburned and too tired, so tired that his waist could not straighten, his legs and feet were weak, and he almost fell prone on the horse’s back.

Gao Lin had no choice but to get into the carriage again: “My lord, I think Liu –”

Liang Shu interrupted: “They’ve come.”

“Come?” Gao Lin lifted the curtain of the carriage to look out, and sure enough, he saw a group of dark figures appearing on the high ground of the cliff. At first glance, there were about twenty or thirty people.

At the same time, those twenty or thirty people were also observing the foot of the mountain. As Liang Shu said before, people would die for riches. The group of bandits had suffered heavy losses because of Chang Xiaohan and were like frightened birds, even wanting to shrink their necks to hide, but in the end they couldn’t resist the generous ransom promised by Cheng Suyue.

They had been lying in ambush for a long time to observe, and saw that the young man in charge couldn’t even ride a horse well, his whole person trembling and half–prone, and his half-length hair blown by the wind to cover his face. Extremely shameful. Setting aside most of his worries, the leader waved his hand and ordered his subordinates to open the mountain gate, and then unsheathed his sword for a fierce battle.

After finally reaching the top of the mountain, Liu Xian’an panted as he climbed off his horse. His mind was still focused on the dangerous road that led almost up to the sky, and his knees were weak. Fortunately, Gao Lin was there to support him so that he would not sit on the ground.

The bandits naturally took this as a frightened reaction. They laughed and walked forward, using the points of their swords to pick off the cloth covering the cart and look at the four or five boxes of gold and silver underneath. Their eyes practically glowed green. At first they had just wanted to snatch a woman, but didn’t expect to get a fat sheep.

Gao Lin asked: “Where is my little sister?”

“Don’t worry, she is very popular in our village, he –” The bandit leader stopped speaking abruptly, because Liu Xian’an had just finished arranging his clothes and raised his head. The paleness of his face had not been completely lost. His lips were not even a little ruddy, and his neck was even whiter. The whole person was basking in the sun, his plain robe blown up by the wind like the statue of a god with lotus cuffs carved from jade , delicate and pure.

The bandit leader froze on the spot. Since he was born, he had never seen such an outstanding appearance, and his mind was a bit dazed for a moment. With some covetous and wicked thoughts in his heart, and a bit of apprehension and piety that came out of nowhere, he took two steps forward. As he lifted his hand to raise that person’s chin with his scabbard, he felt a sudden chill on his shoulders before something slammed into his side.

Liu Xian’an frowned and took two steps back, but couldn’t dodge. His clothes were splashed bright red and dripping, exuding the smell of rust.

“…….”

And the bandits on the opposite side had already reacted with alarm, but none of them could see who made the move. It seemed that in the blink of an eye, one arm of the deputy village head had just flown into the sky.

Screams, accompanied by the sound of weapons being unsheathed, echoed through the originally silent mountains. It was obvious that the visitor from the opposite side was not friendly, and the bandits raised their swords with fierce expressions, rushing forward without hesitation. They had originally wanted to make a preemptive strike, but never thought that before they took two steps, they would be thrown back by a huge internal force, crash, crash, landing one after another like crows and sparrows with broken feathers with blood overflowing from their mouths.

They all struggled to get up, but all the bones in their bodies seemed to be broken. Though their eyes were blurred by wind and sand, they could vaguely see a person slowly emerging from the carriage not far away. The hem of the black robes were embroidered with golden patterns. The soles of those boots first stepped on the tips of the blades of grass, then on the winding blood on the ground, and finally stopped in front of them.

They struggled to raise their heads, but couldn’t see anything clearly. The sky was dazzling, and the surrounding grass was covered in a layer of red mist. There was nothing but shock and terror in their hearts as they thought in agony, first there was a bodhisattva clothed in white like an immortal, and then there was a demon in black robes. This…….various strange scenes intertwined with one another, and even life and death or time and space could not be distinguished.

Liang Shu stepped through the blood and continued to walk into the village, Gao Lin and Liu Xian’an following behind him. Along the way, they saw scattered timber piled up everywhere, as well as unfinished houses. A few men in work clothes should be craftsmen. When they saw this group of people walking in, first they were taken aback, and then they noticed the wet blood on Liu Xian’an’s body. Even a fool could guess that this was not a good person, so they quickly threw away the wood in their arms and fled.

Gao Lin was not surprised by the craftsmen’s reaction. After all, even the wolves in the desert wanted to take a detour when they saw His Highness Xiao-wang. Comparatively, he was more surprised by Liu Xian’an’s calmness. Apart from being a bit tired, this pampered young master did not seem to be frightened by the killing and bloodshed at all. Even the expression on his face didn’t change, as if he was watching a dull play from a distance and his emotions were always outside the plot, neither happy nor sad. 

Tsk……the people who came out of Baihe Mountain Village really shouldn’t be underestimated.

After walking a ways in, a new house appeared in front of them, hung with a large plaque that said “Juyi Hall.” This was the den of thieves.

Gao Lin raised his foot and kicked open the wooden door with a loud sound. Dust flew up, and a group of people inside who were still in discussion about the money were startled, jumping up on the spot.

Gao Lin asked again: “Where is my little sister?”

The blood on Liu Xian’an’s clothes already showed the outcome of the fight at the gate of the mountain. The bandits did not dare to act rashly, but took two slow steps back and gripped the handles of their knives tighter.

The man sitting on the tiger leather chair was Jiang Gui, the leader of the bandits. He claimed to be a great villain who had killed, burned, and looted for decades. A man’s ambition never died in middle age, so out of countless choices, he chose Fuhu Mountain, a treasured land of Feng Shui. He planned to expand the new business, but never thought that several brothers would be killed by the escort first. He still hadn’t gotten over it, and now because he caused trouble by snatching “the mistress of the fortress,” its start was so unfavorable that he had to wonder if he had found a fake Feng Shui master.

Gao Lin was impatient: “Bring her out for laozi!”

“…….” Jiang Gui was in such shock that he couldn’t speak. He gestured with his eyes for his subordinates to go to the backyard, and after a while, a girl in red clothing came out. It was Cheng Suyue.

Miss Cheng didn’t know what it meant to be reserved and dignified in the military camp, and it was uncomfortable to pretend to be a lady in the bandit’s den. So when she saw the prince and her adoptive brother at this time, she regained her nature of being able to kill wolves with her bare hands, and rolled up her sleeves: “Ge…….ge.”

Her eyes fell on Liu Xian’an and she immediately put down her sleeves again, straightened her feet, and even lowered her voice.

Evidently, it was not impossible for her to be a lady. It just depended on who was standing opposite her.

Gao Lin was amazed at this bewitched reaction.

“E-everyone, my lords,” Jiang Gui said nervously after observing for a long time. “We failed to recognize Mount Tai[1] earlier, and offended this aunt. Now that she has been returned, can this matter be settled?”

Liang Shu said: “Speak.”

“Speak……ah?” Jiang Gui didn’t understand. What else could he say? He raised his head but so that the other party was not asking him.

Cheng Suyue stepped forward and said: “My prince, there are many old things hidden in this cottage, and it seems that they are all related to the Tan-daren case from more than ten years ago.”

As soon as she said “prince,” Jiang Gui was almost frightened out of his wits. Even though he had not seen much of the world, he still knew that for a prince of this age, Liang Shu was the only one who was part of all levels of society. Thinking of His Highness Xiao Wang’s reputation of killing a few people for fun, Jiang Gui’s vision darkened and he tumbled heavily from the tiger leather chair.

Liu Xian’an had also heard of the “Tan-daren” case that Cheng Suyue mentioned. Tan-daren’s name was Tan Xiaozhong, and he was once a member of the late emperor’s court. Thirteen years ago, he was ordered to escort a shipment of gold, silver, and grain to the south for disaster relief, but unexpectedly, he was robbed along the way and everything was stolen.

The late emperor was furious because of this and ordered Tan Xiaozhong to be thrown into prison. On a rainy night, the Imperial Army went to the Tan Manor to fetch him. When they pushed open the door, they saw corpses strewn all over the courtyard. The sky was filled with thunder and lightning, and a steady stream of blood was washed down the steps, dying the entire long street red, as if it were hell.

This tragedy of a family’s extermination became the first unsolved case of the Dayan Dynasty, and the murderer had not been caught even today.

[1] To “fail to recognize Mount Tai” is to not recognize a person of great importance. ⮐