But Chen Yunqi really couldn't talk about what his father did.
She had felt frightened from time to time in the past few days, and it was indeed the case today, and the situation was far more desperate than she thought.
Shen Lie felt quite tired since he was on the road last night. Seeing her hesitating, Shen Lie said to Ji Xiahe, "If you want to listen, then listen slowly. I'll go to the carriage first."
"Okay..." Ji Xiahe nodded.
The appearance of the carriage is not new, but the interior furnishings are extremely comfortable and soft. The four walls are covered with newly painted red pear wood, which has an elegant aroma. The green enamel pattern felt is spread on the ground, and the top-grade purple silk blanket is wrapped in it for sitting or half-lying. There is a long wooden couch with two soft dream pillows placed on the velvet carpet.
Shen Lie supported his forehead with one hand, leaned his elbow on the wall of the carriage, and closed his eyes.
After about half a cup of tea, the car curtain was gently lifted.
Ji Xiahe didn't know whether he was awake or sleeping, but before he could make a sound, Shen Lie opened his eyes and looked, his black eyes as bright as snow.
Ji Xiahe frowned slightly and got on the carriage: "Zhi Yan."
"It seems you want her to stay." Shen Lie said.
Ji Xiahe's voice was very soft: "Ah Li probably didn't say what to do to her, otherwise, you wouldn't just send her back to the city."
"Is this your reason for keeping her?"
"Once she answers the letter, she will be sent to Nie Huimo or other officials as a plaything. Zhiyan, if Ah Li is here, what will she do? At least... Ah Li will not let a girl be insulted and played with. "
After a while of silence, Shen Lie said in a deep voice: "You know how to bring her out to stand on your side."
"Miss Chen indeed did something wrong. She should not have helped the tyrants to help her father escape, but that man was her father after all, just like my conflict with the Ji family."
"I don't have a father, so I can't understand it." Shen Lie closed his eyes and supported his forehead again, "Since you want to keep her, then you can keep her."
"She won't follow us for long, don't worry."
Shen Lie said nothing.
After a pause, Ji Xiahe added: "However, she can't ride a horse..."
Shen Lie's eyes suddenly opened again, looking at Ji Xiahe coldly.
"Well, let her get on the carriage?" Ji Xiahe said weakly.
"Xu Li and I stayed up all day and all night, we were very sleepy."
"The carriage is spacious enough, so there's no problem in adding her."
"No need to discuss." Shen Lie closed his eyes.
Ji Xiahe sighed: "Forget it, it's a big honor for you to keep her."
He opened the curtain and got out of the car, just as Xu Li was about to come up. At the same time, Wei Dongyou handed over a small red copper heater from outside.
Xu Li took the heater and placed it in a hidden wooden frame in the corner of the carriage. The fragrance of plum blossoms curled out from the heater, refreshing the heart and mind.
"Master," Xu Li said softly, "you can actually warm tea here."
Shen Lie looked at him: "No need."
Xu Li nodded.
Shen Lie looked at the drooped car curtain and caught a glimpse of Chen Yunqi walking toward Ji Xiahe with a bag in his arms.
Shen Lie closed his eyebrows lightly and said in a deep voice reluctantly: "Go and call Chen Yunqi in."
"Ah?" Xu Li suspected that he heard wrongly, "Tell her to come in?"
"I don't want her to have too much contact with Ji Xiahe." Shen Lie said, closing his eyes again.
The carriage was indeed spacious enough. Chen Yunqi stepped up lightly and sat down at the farthest place from Shen Lie. He didn't dare to make any movement, didn't dare to look around, and even breathed carefully.
Xu Li asked her to put the bundle next to her. She nodded and thanked him softly, but her fingers were still holding the bundle tightly, almost crushing it.
Looking awkward and nervous, Xu Li shook his head, she is indeed a beauty whom I pity.
Everything was hidden in the night, leaving only dancing shadows. Wei Dongyou raised his whip and the carriage set off on the snow.
Before walking out of the area illuminated by the lights of the inn, there was a faint light ahead, and Zhai Jinsheng whispered: "Someone is coming."
Quite a few.
Those few thin lights became brighter and brighter. As they moved forward, the other party came with three carriages and an entourage.
They are close to each other, and their eyes are not friendly.
The leading men looked at Zhai Jinsheng and Ji Xiahe up and down with alert and fierce eyes.
As they approached, the curtains of the second carriage were slightly lifted from the inside, and a pair of slightly older eyes cautiously looked out.
When it fell on Ji Xiahe, the owner of the eyes was stunned for a moment and quickly lowered the curtain.
"Huh?" The beautiful concubine on the side leaned against him gently and said softly, "Master Marquis, what did you see?"
"A person who looks familiar."
"Who is it?"
The man showed a bit of impatience: "If I could know who it was at a glance, I would just say the name."
"Okay," the beautiful concubine curled her lips in frustration, "I'm just stupid."
The man ignored her and frowned deeply. A very familiar feeling reached his throat and he couldn't express it.
But no matter who he is, he can't meet him now. If he can avoid it, he should avoid it.
The two parties crossed each other and passed by without looking back.
Ji Xiahe breathed a sigh of relief: "I thought I would take action."
"They... are very strange." Zhai Jinsheng said.
"strangeness?"
"The boots are very thick, and the clothes on the body are also thick, but the clothes underneath are not warm jackets, but thin shirts."
"It's not that thin. I looked at it a few times and it's a bit thick," Ji Xiahe said.
"It can't be compared with spring and summer gowns, but they..." Zhai Jinsheng paused and said, "I know, those are thick winter coats from the south of the Yangtze River. A little further north, no one would wear them like this."
"Jiangnan?"
Zhai Jinsheng reined in his horse and looked behind him.
Ji Xiahe also turned back.
Wei Dongyou looked at the two people in front of him: "What's wrong?"
"No," Zhai Jinsheng shook his head, "It's nothing."
Even if he comes from Jiangnan, there is nothing strange about him.
In troubled times, it’s not surprising that people either move around or stay in one corner.
The wind and snow are getting stronger and stronger, and the north wind blows over the ground, setting off white tide in the low floating sky. Under the foggy lampshade outside the south gate of Xinfu, a group of people have been waiting in the wind and snow for a long time.
Seeing the carriages and horses approaching in the snow and fog, the men under the lamps let out a long sigh of relief.
"Master Marquis!" The leading man stepped forward and said respectfully, "I have been waiting for you. General Dou and Ji Changshi sent us here."
The beautiful concubine lifted the car curtain, looked at the men several times, then looked back into the car. She didn't know what she said, but a man's hand stretched out and opened the car curtain even wider.
Tao Lan's biological uncle, Tao Daizhuo, the Marquis of Jingan, was wrapped in brocade clothes and jade robes, his eyes wary and suspicious. Over the years, he had aged very quickly, his features had become chaotic, and the corners of his eyes had deep wrinkles, and he had completely lost the majesty of his youth.
"Greetings to the Marquis!" The men who greeted them immediately knelt down on the snow.
"Master Marquis, half a mile ahead is Congxin Mansion." The coachman whispered outside the curtain.
Marquis Jingan looked towards the tall city in the darkness.
"Is it safe to enter the city now?" Marquis Jing'an asked.
"It's safe!" the man kneeling on the ground said hurriedly, "Captain Dou and Ji Changshi have arranged everything!"
