The people of Fu Guo Gong Fu were all impatiently waiting at the front door after receiving the Imperial Edict. Although, because of this incident, Fu Guo Gong Fu was heavily surrounded by Imperial Guards. But the fact that the Emperor granted rcy and allowed Qu Zhang Qing to recover first before being brought to trial was already extrely good news.
At this mont, Ji Shu Yu, Qu Fei Qing, and even Lao Tai Jun with a walking stick lead the crowd of people waiting in the front door.
The sound of a carriage passing over the listone path was heard. The people's faces were all filled with joy and excitent, if not for the Imperial Guards preventing them from leaving the mansion, the crowd may have already rushed to the carriage.
After the carriage stopped, Jiao Da supported Qu Zhang Qing out of the carriage. Qu Zhang Qing slightly raised his head and saw his grandmother, mother, and sister looking at him teary eyed. Qu Zhang Qing only realized the beauty of the world after leaving the dark and humid jail of the Ministry of Justice. In his heart, his love and care for his family also increased. Seeing his family deeply worried for him. Even though the wounds hurt so much that he could not straighten his back, he still managed to move his pale white lips and show a comforting smile.
After waiting for Jiao Da to help Qu Zhang Qing walk the ten steps of stairs to enter the gates of Fu Guo Gong Fu, everyone imdiately rushed up and lightly put Qu Zhang Qing on the soft seat of a sedan. The servants carried him running to Chu Yun Ge right away.
The one who sent Qu Zhang Qing over today was Jiao Da, who never strayed far from Chu Wang, so Gu laotaijun imdiately treated him with courtesy and personally led him to the inner courtyard.
Jiao Da first glanced at the direction Chu Fei Yang left a while ago before he followed laotaijun to Rui Lin Yuan. He was planning to tell her everything that happened today.
……
“Xiaojie, nubi went to the back door of Fu Guo Gong Fu a while ago. Biao xiaojie's yatou told nubi that biao shaoye has been sent back by the Emperor!” Mu Chun entered Qi Luo Yuan filled with happiness and had imdiately told Yun Qian ng the good news.
“That is great. There are taiyi in Fu Guo Gong Fu, so I believe that biaoge will recover soon. Oh, have Mi mama and Ying Xia co back yet?” Hearing the words of Mu Chun slightly relieved Yun Qian ng.
Regardless whether or not the injustice of Qu Zhang Qing had been cleared, a cell in the Ministry of Justice is not a good place to stay too long. Being there would make it easy for Su Yuan to do sothing in secret.
“Nubi will look outside.” Mu Chun bowed, then left the room.
After a while, Mi mama and Ying Xia quickly entered the inner room. The two looked worn, so Yun Qian ng knew that they had returned urgently and she imdiately put down the book in her hand to looked at them.
“Nubi greets xiaojie.” The two bowed.
“Mama, how was it? Will Ying Qiu be able to cure the poison?” Yun Qian ng said nervously, her eyes tightly staring at the two people in front of her.
Hearing that, Mi mama smiled, and imdiately replied, “Ying Qiu said that this poison is not hard to cure. But there is one ingredient of the antidote that is extrely precious. It is possibly that it can't be found in Xi Chu.”
Hearing the first sentence, Yun Qian ng was delighted, but after hearing the rest, she lightly knitted her delicate eyebrows.
It was obvious that the person who had done the poisoning intended harm and would not be kind hearted enough to use a poison that was easy to cure.
So that was why the person behind this plan did not bother to send other assassins over after Qu Ling Ao was only hurt. He might have already foreseen that the poison could not be cured even by the taiyi from the physician's institute, and Qu Ling Ao was only awaiting his death. That was the reason for the confidence.
But, the situation was not yet at its final stages. How could she just give up?
“Did Ying Qiu ntion the na and characteristic of the herb? We still have more than a month's ti. I believe that we can surely find the antidote.” Yun Qian ng could not help but increase her stubbornness. Her belief of not giving up until the last mont from her days as a police officer suddenly ca to her mind, making her look incomparably firm at the mont.
“Xiaojie, the na of the herb is Hu Ge! Nubi doesn't know about the shape and other characteristics of the herb because there is no such herb in Xi Chu.” This ti, the one who replied to Yun Qian ng was Ying Xia who had co in along with Mi mama. Her eyebrows were tightly knitted when she spoke, as if she was thinking about sothing.
Seeing her expression, Yun Qian ng felt a surge of rising hope and softly asked, “Ying Xia, do you know where to find this herb?”
If it was so, then she really received a great gift from Rong Yun He by sending her these two special and useful maids.
Ying Xia slightly nodded, and said with curiosity in her eyes, “Nubi rembers soone ntioning the na of this herb when I was young.”
After replying, she remained silent and started thinking again.
Yun Qian ng did not bother her either, as long as she thought of where to find this Hu Ge, even if she needed to experience a thousand difficulties and a million dangers, she would find it.
Ying Xia lowered her head and thought deeply. She did not move for half an incense stick. Yun Qian ng let Mi mama go out and rest for a while as she herself picked up the book she was reading a while ago then silently continued reading and did not disturb Ying Xia.
“Xiaojie! Nubi rembers!” Ying Xia suddenly shouted, but it did not surprise Yun Qian ng who had continuously watched her.
Seeing her overjoyed, Yun Qian ng also smiled and felt the joy. She imdiately asked, “Who was it?”
“Xiaojie! Nubi rembered! In Xi Chu, I'm afraid this Hu Ge can only be found in one place. A few years ago, Nubi went to Pu Guo An along with Rong Xian taifei and Rong gongzi. While serving tea to Rong gongzi, Nubi unintentionally heard gongzi ntion that Jiu Xuan shitai seed to have gotten a small box of the precious Hu Ge by chance!”
Yun Qian ng closed the book on her hands. Her lips showed a glimpse of a smile and her eyes shone with brightness, but her voice seed to contain more seriousness than a while ago. “Since that's the case, quickly prepare a carriage to head to Pu Guo An!”
Ying Xia was quite surprised at Yun Qian ng's words and imdiately asked, “Xiaojie believes nubi? If nubi is wrong, it will tire xiaojie for travelling such a long distance.”
Yun Qian ng just stood up, her hands lightly patted the folds in her skirt, then smiled and said, “Then I'm going to ask you, what can you get from lying to ? Whether or not I will go for nothing will be clear once I get to Pu Guo An.”
Ying Xia could not help but admire Yun Qian ng for not being like the various xiaojie of other families who were overly suspicious. She imdiately went out of Qi Luo Yuan to prepare the carriage.
For the trip, Yun Qian ng only rode in a common and unnoticeable carriage. She only brought Ying Xia and Yuan Dong with her and even had Yuan Dong run the carriage. The carriage quickly went to the official road and headed towards Pu Guo An.
The horse's hooves stepped on the yellow soil and brought up a lot of dust. Because the speed of the carriage was too fast, Yun Qian ng and Ying Xia both needed to hold on the walls of the carriage in order to sit stably.
Half a cup of tea's ti after the carriage left the city gates when Yuan Dong's voice was heard from the outside. “Xiaojie, it seems like soone is following us.”
“Speed up.” Yun Qian ng calmly ordered. Ying Xia and herself then held onto the carriage more tightly in order not to fall down.
Her going out today was just decided monts ago. She had gone discreetly in order to avoid the notice of the the person behind all the evil plans and prevent them from stealing the Hu Ge that could save a life.
But the opponent was very thorough; it might be that everything related to Fu Guo Gong Fu was being monitored.
A cold look appeared in Yun Qian ng's eyes as she secretly thought, 'who are these people who had been following her since she left the house?'
The sound of an arrow whizzed by.
“Careful!” Yun Qian ng pulled Ying Xia over based on instinct, then quickly pressed her head down. The mont Ying Xia's head was lowered, an arrow shot through where she had been seated. The arrow had gone right through the carriage wall from the other side.
It seed like the person who shot the arrow used all of his strength, otherwise, Yun Qian ng, who was inside the carriage, would not have heard the sound of the arrow and neither would the arrow have been able to pass through the thick walls of the carriage.
“Xiaojie! Are you alright?” In the midst of the extre crisis, Ying Xia's beca pale and had lost all the colour from her face, but at least she did not lose her mind. Her heart was filled with concern for Yun Qian ng's safety as she closely shielded Yun Qian ng's front.
“Yuan Dong, if we are being ambushed from the front, no matter who it is, just run through it.” Yun Qian ng ordered with an unexpectedly calm voice. Her eyes were extrely cool but in her heart, she experienced unlimited anger. It seed like the person really did not want Qu Ling Ao to live. If there were any moves were done to help him, that person would imdiately eliminate the source of trouble completely.
Surprisingly, aside from the arrow a while ago, the road after was quiet and nothing dangerous happened again. This made the three of them more suspicious. They did not dare stop on the way and went directly to Pu Guo An.
…...
“A group of useless grunts. You can't even catch a woman!” When the figure of the carriage was quickly receding, a voice filled with fury sounded from a hill. It was followed by two loud slaps.
“Please calm down, zhuzi. This is Xi Chu's official road. If sothing happened, it will surely be noticed imdiately. We are just trying to find the thing that zhuzi lost. It is better not to do anything rash. Besides, a while ago, after beizhi shot the arrow, I noticed that soone at the back shot sothing at beizhi's arrow as well, causing the arrow to lose two-thirds of its power. I'm afraid that while we are following that carriage, we were also tailed by soone else.” The soldier who received the two slaps imdiately half-kneeled and explained the situation.
The person coldly snorted and added a kick to the soldier. He mounted the horse and coldly said, “Follow that carriage carefully, see where the best place to attack is.”
The person's whip strongly struck the horse and the horse, feeling the pain, quickly rushed forward.
……
“Xiaojie, we have arrived at Pu Guo An.” Yuan Dong rushed the rest of the way. Even when they entered the mountains, she still did not slow down. Once the carriage stopped at the gates of Pu Guo An, did she stop and assist Yun Qian ng. The three have not yet gone up the stairs, before the sound of a horse quickly galloping was heard.
Yun Qian ng looked back and saw Chu Fei Yang rushing over on a horse. He did not even bring a single soldier or servant with him. Yun Qian ng let out a sigh at his boldness.
On the other hand, after Chu Fei Yang had seen that she was unhard, the worry in his eyes slowly faded. He pulled on the halter to stop, then imdiately went down from the horse's back with swift movents he quickly walked up to Yun Qian ng. Looking closely, though her hair seed a little ssy, it was still in place. The anxiety in Chu Fei Yang's heart finally went away completely. His lips turned into a smile, “Is Yun xiaojie going to pray for houye?”
When Yun Qian ng heard his question, she imdiately realized that Chu Fei Yang surely knew sothing, but she did not say the truth just to be safe. Following Chu Fei Yang's words she said, “Jiujiu remains unconscious and the people of Fu Guo Gong Fu can't leave the mansion. Only chennu is relatively free at the mont; therefore, I ca up to the mountain to pray to Buddha in lieu of them, hoping to bless everything in Fu Guo Gong Fu would go smoothly.“
Seeing her speaking rather seriously, Chu Fei Yang did not expose her but also did not leave. He walked up the stone stairs and said, “Since that's the case, Yun xiaojie's thoughts are quite similar to benxiang's. We are both praying for our close relatives.”
Yun Qian ng swallowed back the words of farewell. Thinking of the Hu Ge of Jiu Xuan shitai, she can only force herself to follow behind Chu Fei Yang and go up the stairs.
The mont the four of them arrived at the main hall of Pu Guo An, they saw Jiu Xuan shitai standing inside and ordering the disciples to complete so arrangents. Yun Qian ng and Chu Fei Yang stopped their steps and waited at the side.
Jiu Xuan shitai quickly noticed the arrival of Chu Fei Yang and Yun Qian ng. After briefly giving a few more orders, she walked to the two of them. One was smiling and pleased, the other calm and at ease. She calmly addressed them, “Long ti no see, shizhu.”
When Jiu Xuan shitai turned to speak with her, Yun Qian ng cald herself down, smiled and said, “Qian ng greets shitai. How is shitai?”
“Everything is good inside the temple. Did you two co here to pray or to ask for a fortune?” Jiu Xuan calmly spoke as usual. She waved her hands for a disciple co over, intending to have Yun Qian ng and Chu Fei Yang be lead to the Buddha.
“Many thanks to shitai. But today, Qian ng ca here neither to pray nor to get a fortune. Instead, I have sothing to discuss with shitai.” Her eyes and brows filled with a sincere expression as Yun Qian ng lightly shook her head at the offered gesture of the younger nun.
“If that's so, then please co with pinni to the inner courtyard.” Jiu Xuan shitai did not show much surprise with Yun Qian ng's words. She brought Yun Qian ng alone to a side room of the inner courtyard calmly.
On the other hand, Chu Fei Yang exited the main hall after they left and entered the inner courtyard from the entrance on the other side.
“Shizhu, what is the matter?” Jiu Xuan did not have the help of servants in her daily life. With Yun Qian ng in her room, she surprisingly boiled a pot of snow water left from last year herself and took out tea leaves from a small box. Her long and thin fingers lightly pinched a few leaves into the white glazed porcelain teacup, then she poured the hot snow water to wash it. Afterwards, she filled the cup again and handed it to Yun Qian ng.
Yun Qian ng took the precious and delicate teacup from Jiu Xuan shitai, noticing that Jiu Xuan shitai was a person who lived a high quality life. Inwardly, she beca more careful in preventing herself from saying sothing wrong and miss the chance of getting the Hu Ge.
Jiu Xuan was carefully examining Yun Qian ng's actions. She lightly blew the steam, took a sip, and savored the taste of the tea, before she opened her mouth, “The tea of shitai definitely has a nice fragrance, leaving a rich aftertaste. Today, I ca to ask for a favor from shitai. If what I will ask of you is too difficult for shitai, Qian ng still would not have wasted this trip.”
Jiu Xuan shitai observed her optimism and inside her heart, she could not help but feel more respect for this little girl, so she spoke more gently, “Shizhu overpraises.”
Yun Qian ng put down the teacup, raised her bright eyes, and spoke more seriously, “Shitai is rather particular even with drinking tea. The things you use are all of good quality. Presumably, your are also in possession of precious treasures that are never heard of by us normal citizens.”
Jiu Xuan shitai inferred that she was implying sothing in between the lines but did not urgently ask. Instead, she leisurely took a sip of the tea and said, “Hearing the words of shizhu, can it be that you are asking for sothing from Pu Guo An? But Pu Guo An is a place filled with the peace and quiet of Buddhism. Anything used here is totally different from the mortal world. it's very likely that pinni will not be able to help xiaojie.”
Jiu Xuan shitai seed to be declining even before hearing what Yun Qian ng was asking for. Her heart felt a bit tense, but her face was still all smile and calmness. She continued to pursuade Jiu Xuan shitai, “Shitai is known for saving all living things from suffering after becoming a nun. This ti, what I am asking for is just sothing that can save soone's life. I hope that shitai can grant my wish.”
As Jiu Xuan heard Yun Qian ng's explanation, knowing of the happenings in Fu Guo Gong Fu, she was able to partly guess that what Yun Qian ng was asking for was most probably sothing like herbs or dicines.
But in the entire country, the palace was the one place where one could find all kinds of rare and precious herbs. The only thing that the palace might not have, perhaps, was the box of Hu Ge.
With this line of thought, Jiu Xuan began to fully understand, but...
Jiu Xuan put down her teacup and said in a cold voice, “Shizhu is a young lady from a distinguished family, and is also the blood-related niece of the current Empress Dowager. If shizhu needs sothing to help save soone's life, why don't you go ask the Empress Dowager?”
Yun Qian ng saw her facial expression and imdiately knew that Jiu Xuan shitai surely knew what she was asking for.
It was really inappropriate for her to ask for this extrely precious herb, but if this herb can be found in the palace, the Empress Dowager would have surely sent it to Fu Guo Gong Fu as early as possible. There would have been no need for her to take the risk and co over.
“Shitai, herbs are originally ant to save people's lives. However precious a herb is, if it can't fulfill its purpose, it is just an ordinary object. Qian ng knows that it is presumptuous of to co here today, but I request shitai to please understand Qian ng's eager to save soone.” Yun Qian ng's eyebrows were tightly knitted, her eyes were clear and teary, her face looked so sincere than anyone would soften their hearts when they looked at her.
Jiu Xuan shitai was one who does not care about the worldly affairs, does not let herself be influenced by things in the mortal world, and does not let anything shake her state of mind. But at the current expression of Yun Qian ng, who was usually cool and calm, she sighed in her heart, and told the truth, “Shizhu does not know, but the herb you are asking for was already lost one and a half month before. Pinni gave orders for the whole of Pu Guo An to be searched, but found nothing. Therefore, today, it is not that pinni does not want to help. I have the heart but am incapable. Shizhu must go back and think of another way.”
While speaking, Jiu Xuan shitai stood up and opened the wooden door of the room.
After hearing the words, her heart was strongly shaken. Yun Qian ng knew that there was no reason for Jiu Xuan to fool her, so she slowly stood up, curtsied to Jiu Xuan shitai, then left the room.
“Yun shizhu!” Jiu Xuan shitai unexpectedly called out to Yun Qian ng.
“Does shitai have so guidance to give?” Yun Qian ng knew in her heart that Jiu Xuan shitai was not soone who spoke a lot. For the shitai to have called her, perhaps it was a favorable turn of the situation. Yun Qian ng imdiately turned back and looked at her.
“Inside Hai wangfu, rare herbs are all over the floor.” Jiu Xuan shitai only ntioned this one sentence and imdiately closed the door of the room.
Hai wangfu?
Yun Qian ng's heart tightened. She already incurred so animosity with Hai Tian because of the incident of her falling into the water last ti.
Moreover, Hai wangfu originally wanted to have a relationship with Fu Guo Gong Fu. After the accident in Fu Guo Gong Fu happened, Hai wangfu did not ntion the proposal again, presumably, to avoid the danger.
If they asked Hai wangfu for a precious herb to help save the life of Qu Ling Ao, the experienced and cunning Hai wang would probably not agree, or he may take this opportunity to ask for sothing excessive. If this were to happen, would Fu Guo Gong Fu not end up being controlled by others?
Yun Qian ng slowly walked through the courtyards in between the rooms, her mind and thought focused entirely in the situation, ignoring her personal safety.
Only until a violent gust of wind crashed against her back did Yun Qian ng beco alert. With a quick dodge, she was able avoid a sneak attack. Following which, she caught the attacker off guard with an unexpected side kick that connected right in the chest of her opponent who staggered back. His hands covered his chest and was not even able to say a word through the pain.
“Shoot!” A cool sound ca through. Yun Qian ng did not even think before moving like lightning. She took the opportunity while the man was bracing his chest and moved to his back. She pulled out the golden hairpin from her hair and pressed it onto the person's neck, and coldly said, “If whoever dared to shoot, he will imdiately stop breathing.”
“Stop!” A panting and dismayed voice ca through, the archers hidden in the surroundings all revealed themselves. The person who scread was surprised that his zhuzi was being held by a small girl. His face not only showed worry, but also amazent for Yun Qian ng.
“Yun Qian ng, how dare you grab !” The person who had his throat pressed into by a golden hairpin suddenly shouted furiously.
Yun Qian ng recognized the person from his voice. Could it be the assassin who boldly charged into the palace the other day?
Yun Qian ng's face only showed a cold and rciless smile as she spoke in an equally cold tone, “Why will I not dare to? It's rather daring for you to attack from behind.”
No wonder he was hurt by Wu daren the other day. He did Kung Fu like a cat with three feet. He could not even deal with a small girl like her, and he still dared to show his face.
Of course, this person gave Chen wang cause to almost ruin her reputation. Yun Qian ng naturally would not forgive him or let him go. The hairpin in her hand was slowly poking into the skin of the assassin. Blood already started to slowly flow down the fair and white neck of the assassin. This scared his companions so much that they could not make a move carelessly.
“Are you all good-for-nothing? You can't even deal with a woman? Quickly shoot! Shoot her to death!” Thinking of the humiliation he had received in the brothel and now held by this woman, the assassin was montarily ashad into anger and he shouted to his subordinates rashly.
But in that sa mont, the archers who were aiming their bows at Yun Qian ng suddenly collapsed, leaving only the twenty plus bodyguards with swords looking nervously at their surroundings.
“Give him to .” Chu Fei Yang unexpectedly appeared beside Yun Qian ng, as she still held the assassin in front of her. Although impressed by Yun Qian ng's courage, this kind of close contact between a man and a woman made Chu Fei Yang suddenly have the need to grab the assassin himself. The two fingers of his right hand easily pinched the neck of the assassin, rendering the man unable to move.
“Chu Fei Yang, don't think that you can escape today! I have this many people beside , while you are alone and you even need to bring this woman with you. I'm afraid you can't fly away even if you had wings.” Although the assassin had already been held by Chu Fei Yang, but his voice still sounded wildly arrogant.
“Even if that is the case, I only need to catch you alone. Even if I'm facing a thousand soldiers and a million horses, benxiang will certainly succeed. Everyone, move back ten feet.” Chu Fei Yang still had a relaxed appearance, but the two fingers holding the assassin's artery slightly exerted more force, frightening the subordinates of the assassin into imdiately obeying Chu Fei Yang's order.
With her hands, Yun Qian ng wiped off the blood on her golden hairpin on the assassin's clothes, before she placed it back in her hair and stood to the side with a cold expression.
“How obedient! Don't worry, since benxiang let you go once, I can also let you a second ti. But, last ti, it was benxiang who owed you. This ti, it's your turn to owe benxiang. Have you already thought of how to repay the favor?” Chu Fei Yang satisfyingly looked at the reaction of the enemy, as he spoke to him softly beside his ear. This angered the assassin so much that his whole body shook, and his eyes fiercely glared at Yun Qian ng.
Yun Qian ng only innocently shrugged her shoulders, and said with a tone that would drive a person crazy, “Your ability is inferior, why do you vent your anger on other people?”
When she spoke, Yun Qian ng clearly felt Chu Fei Yang glance at her face with a smile. He was laughing because he easily took the hostage from her hands without the least bit of resistance!
Yun Qian ng felt annoyed, but she could only bla that fact that she did not know the martial arts of this ancient ti, otherwise she would surely compete with Chu Fei Yang to see who was better.
“Repay? It is your honor to do anything for , how dare you ask for repaynt! Are all people in Xi Chu this greedy and insatiable?” Although he was already in a difficult situation, the assassin was still very arrogant.
Yun Qian ng suddenly looked at the assassin after hearing his words. The golden hairpin she put in her hair was once again pulled out and pushed against his throat. She coldly said, “Speak. Do you have anything to do with the incidents that recently happened in Fu Guo Gong Fu?”
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