Xia Zhaoyi sat down at Sihai Teahouse, directly stated his intention, and at the same time ordered a pot of ordinary scented tea.
As soon as the shopkeeper heard that it was her, he immediately welcomed her.
"Miss Ali, can we choose a secluded place to talk in detail?"
Compared to the shopkeeper's eagerness and anxiety, Xia Zhaoyi smiled calmly: "No, just stay here. Speak slowly. There's no rush."
The streets outside the teahouse became more and more lively, with crowds of people jostling one after another. The faces of those who came and went looked sad, mournful or numb.
The shopkeeper's words were concise. Xia Zhaoyi listened calmly and picked out a name: "Mao Zilong?"
"Well, the Mao family is a rice merchant, the one from the palace, and now they are targeting big merchants who have no foundation or background."
"I heard that Miss Nie has something to do with him?"
"Yes, it's spreading in the streets and alleys."
"What about Ma Yanliang?"
"This man is really," the shopkeeper shook his head, speechless. "He gave all the famous people in Xu City to those from He Jing. The reason why Princess Shang'an took Miss Nie away was because of his mouth.
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Xia Zhaoyi smiled, stood up and said, "I'm going to find my junior brother."
"Miss Ah Li," the shopkeeper said in a low voice, "If you need anything, just ask. Our boss has an explanation. It doesn't matter if you don't need this store."
"Thank you, Lord Tan, for me," Xia Zhaoyi said warmly, thought for a while, and then said, "I don't need to ask the shopkeeper for my junior brother's matter, but I have other things and I would like to ask the shopkeeper for help."
"Just tell me, girl!" the shopkeeper said hurriedly.
Xia Zhaoyi came closer and lowered his voice so low that the shopkeeper could hardly hear him.
"This!" The shopkeeper's eyes widened, "Girl, this is so grand."
"If you don't want to play big, why should I come to Li Gan?" Xia Zhaoyi said with a smile, "I'm leaving first."
A large number of government soldiers and horses rushed out from the city gate and ran to the southwest.
Zhi Li, dressed in the clothes of a tenant farmer, stood on the hillside and looked at the soldiers and horses in the distance without looking back, heading straight for the road ahead.
At first Zhili thought they were looking for him, but it wasn't until farmers passing by said something happened in Liujia Village that he realized it wasn't the case.
After standing for a while, he turned around and left.
Two hundred meters up the mountain road, in the east side hall of a dilapidated Taoist temple, Nie Qingling sat pitifully blankly.
She was disheveled from her hair to her feet, she had lost one of her shoes, her face was covered with slap marks, her cheeks were swollen, her clothes were soaked with water, and she was soaked all over.
Now, she was tied up in all kinds of ways, including her arms and legs.
The brazier in front of him was burning brightly. Zhili stretched out his hand to test the temperature of the fire and muttered in confusion: "Why aren't your clothes dry yet?"
Nie Qingling was shivering from the cold, and the brazier made her feel very uncomfortable, as if she were in a world of ice and fire.
"I won't jump into the river anymore," Nie Qingling begged, "Can you loosen my bonds?"
"I have to go to the city," Zhili stood up and looked at her, "Today is February 20th, and I have something very important to do."
"You, please let go of me."
Zhili thought for a moment and shook his head: "No."
Nie Qingling closed her eyes in despair, tears rolling down her face.
"Don't cry." Zhili said hurriedly.
"Don't save me," Nie Qingling cried, "just let me jump into the river and die. Why save me?"
"It's...incomprehensible."
I passed by the Huayu Theater this morning. If I hadn't seen her about to be beaten to death by several servants in the street, I wouldn't have taken action.
After saving her life to the end, Zhili took her out of the city and wanted her to find a home in a village outside the city and live in seclusion for a while.
Nie Qingling didn't say much and was silent all the way until she reached the river. She took advantage of the situation and jumped down with a pop.
Now, on the contrary, Zhili doesn't dare to leave her easily.
When Nie Qingling had finished crying, she turned her head and found Zhili holding her chin with both hands and sitting cross-legged with a depressed look on her face.
"Hey..." Nie Qingling called him softly.
"Don't disturb me." Zhili said.
Nie Qingling choked and looked away: "If you don't make a noise, there will be no noise."
After sitting for a while, feeling distraught, I got up again and walked outside.
She was still worried that she could actually jump into such a cold river. A person who wanted to die was afraid that as soon as he stepped away, she would immediately jump up and bury her head in the brazier.
Zhili raised his head and looked towards the rural road in the distance.
He left a lot of marks, I wonder if my senior sister can see them.
If the senior sister cannot be found, then wait until nightfall before settling her down.
The sun gradually rose to the west, and the setting sun burned a golden cloud in the sky. Then the skylight quickly sank, and darkness enveloped the surrounding areas.
Zhili turned back and entered the room, stretched out his hand and touched the corner of Nie Qingling's clothes. It felt dry, but he didn't know what was inside.
Otherwise, bake it for a while longer?
Zhili added dry firewood to the brazier.
Nie Qingling's face was ashen, silent and hopeless. She gave him a cold look and looked away.
After sitting for a while, he stood up.
Suddenly there were many voices in the distance, and he walked out. It was the soldiers and horses who went to Liujiacun and returned.
Nearly a thousand soldiers, with sonorous steps and torches held high in their hands, turned into a long flaming dragon between heaven and earth.
There is never a shortage of spectators in this world, and the long and spacious road where the officers and soldiers returned was crowded with farmers from nearby villages.
Several farmers among them looked at these officers and soldiers and hesitated in their hearts. From time to time they raised their heads to look at the Taoist temple on the mountain in the distance.
Finally, a farmer plucked up the courage and ran out to stop an officer and soldier.
"If you have anything to say, tell me quickly," the officer and soldier said solemnly.
The farmer pointed toward the mountain: "There is a thief who carried a wet girl up the mountain this morning and has not come down yet!"
"Is there no road at the other end of the mountain?" said the officer and soldier, "How do you know he didn't go over the mountain?"
"This, this is Ji Xing Mountain."
"Yes, you go look for such a big Jixing Mountain. If you go there in vain, you go." The officers and soldiers were impatient.
"But……"
"On this matter, why are you trying to be a hero and being so self-righteous? How capable are you?" The officer and soldier ignored him and turned around and left.
"Tell you to stop being troublesome!"
"Look, it's disgusting!"
"You deserve it for yourself!"
"Let's see if you want to be a standout in the future."
The companions said one after another.
This officer and soldier returned to the team and while walking, he seemed to have thought of something, turned around and hurried back to the farmer's house.
"What kind of thief? Please tell me carefully?"
The farmer who was being ridiculed by his companions said: "He is young, he looks like fifteen or sixteen years old, with fine skin and tender flesh."
"What color clothes?"
"He is also wet. He is wearing a light brown cloth jacket and a light green cotton and linen belt."
The officers and soldiers murmured for a while, then suddenly said in surprise: "It's him!"
The officers and soldiers quickly turned around and ran forward.
This single accelerating torch is very conspicuous in the crowd.
Zhili frowned, moved his fingers lightly, and counted "good luck".
As expected!
Regardless of whether the officers and soldiers were looking for him or not, it shouldn't be a "bad" sign at the moment.
"What happened?" Dai Yu rode on the horse and looked at the soldier running forward. "Is it possible that something unexpected could happen..."
Shen Lie was beside him, his black eyes were cold, and their figures were swallowed up by the dark night in the countryside.
At this time, the officers and soldiers started to move together, and the torches spinning in the dark night were like a sleeping beast waking up.
Dai Yu's heart sank and he looked at Shen Lie: "Master, I'm going to prepare the backup plan."
"It should have nothing to do with Liujiacun." Shen Lie said.
Dai Yu frowned and saw that the soldiers were turning around, facing the west.
The towering mountains at the end are the most majestic Pole Star Mountain in Mingtai County.
Zhili's eyes widened on the mountain, and he immediately turned around and ran towards Duodian.
Nie Qingling didn't know what was going on. He looked up when he heard the movement, and immediately saw the fragments rushing towards him.
The speed was so fast that Nie Qingling couldn't react. The next moment, the world was spinning and she was being carried again.
Although she was scared, she didn't yell and asked in a low voice: "What happened."
