Chapter 29: Audacity
The journey ahead, everyone’s spirits relaxed. Thanks to the sugar, and because they had completely left Huai Prefecture and officially entered Yandi.
Jin Sui thought they would reach Yancheng in at most three to five days. Now that they were in Yandi, could Yancheng be far behind?
It turned out that Yandi had sixteen prefectures, and Yancheng was in the farthest north.
They had been on a forced march to get to Huai Prefecture in just a few days.
Of course, they could also use a forced march on the way back, but it was unknown if Li King could endure it.
Jin Sui shook her head directly, “Absolutely not! Let’s just travel at a normal pace!”
By dinner, half of the rice and flour brought from Huai Prefecture had been eaten.
Han Xing said that the white rice and flour were only for Li King, and the soldiers should buy grain from nearby towns.
Jin Sui found that what was bought back were all beans and peas, which were rough to eat.
She insisted on eating the same food as the wounded, and was very indignant. I’m Li King!
With this group of people following me, I can’t even provide them with a full meal!
No, I must find a way to ensure the soldiers are well-fed and happy.
As she was contemplating ways to ensure they were well-fed, Hei Hu started distributing energy bars again. This time, they were stronger.
Only one-fifth of the people didn’t get any. Jin Sui saw these soldiers hitting themselves while carrying others.
While hitting themselves, they cursed, “Serves you right for talking too much! Serves you right for talking too much!”
Hei Hu executed the orders perfectly. Anyone who asked for any received none.
Jin Sui suppressed a laugh, preparing to enter the space at the right time tonight to stock up on more energy bars.
Meanwhile, what Li King did in Huai Prefecture spread like wildfire.
Having barely escaped the pursuit of bandits and emerged from the mountains, Grandpa Ling and the other two were resting at an old Taoist temple.
Gu Changxiao had successfully impersonated Jin Sui, using her Certificate of Conversion to become a young Taoist.
He was too severely injured and was almost dragged out of the mountains by Grandpa Ling and Jin An.
Even with the Spiritual Medicine left by Jin Sui, he developed a high fever, and as the weather grew warmer, his wounds became inflamed.
Grandpa Ling was afraid he would die, because if he died, it would be even harder to find Jin Sui!
He even grudgingly used the medicine Jin Sui had left for his feet, giving it all to Gu Changxiao.
That day, Grandpa Ling left Jin An to take care of him at the Taoist temple and went to town alone to buy some food and Medicinal Materials, and most importantly, to gather information about the outside world.
Then, he magnificently heard about what Li King had done in Huai Prefecture. The storyteller at the local teahouse was speaking with great passion.
It was said that Jiang Nansheng, a local General, was too arrogant and had oppressed merchants, accepting heavy bribes.
The people of Huai Prefecture feared, respected, and detested him, so Li King’s actions in Huai Prefecture had greatly excited them, making them feel as if they had vented their anger.
Since this place was not far from Huai Prefecture, the news spread quickly and in detail. However, with the storyteller’s embellishments, the details were greatly exaggerated.
He continued:
“That General Jiang, audacious and reckless, actually detained Li King’s three thousand armored soldiers. When Li King went to confront him, oh my, he still refused to return them!”
“Everyone knows that this Li King was formerly the Crown Prince. Even though he was deposed, the aura of the Crown Prince remained!”
“He went alone to the gates of Huai Prefecture City and pointed at General Jiang’s nose, cursing him loudly. General Jiang even tried to stop him, but Li King cut off his hand with a single blow!”
“It is said that the severed hand fell from below the City Wall, blood splattering everywhere! My useless nephew happened to be in Huai Prefecture, and the severed hand fell right in front of him…”
Grandpa Ling couldn’t afford to buy tea and couldn’t enter the teahouse, so he could only squeeze in outside to listen. However, there were too many people listening, and Grandpa Ling’s beard was broken in several places from the crowd.
After he finished listening, he couldn’t help but be surprised. How could the conduct of this Abandoned Crown Prince be so different from what he had heard before?
He couldn’t help but think of his own granddaughter, whose temperament had changed greatly after experiencing hardships.
It seemed that the transition from Crown Prince to Li King had been a great blow to this important figure!
Grandpa Ling bought his things and returned to the Taoist temple. Being well-mannered, he bought Dim Sum for all the Taoist Children in the temple.
A group of Taoist Children gathered around to ask him about the fresh news from town. Jin An also gathered around, but he was mainly hoping to hear if there was any news of his sister.
Then Grandpa Ling recounted how Li King had cut off Jiang Nansheng’s hand in Huai Prefecture. He hadn’t even finished speaking.
Inside the room, Gu Changxiao, who had been in a high fever and unconscious, sat up as if he had been startled from near death and loudly asked:
“What did you say? What happened to Li King?”
I am clearly here in this small Taoist temple, injured and sick. Where did another Li King come from to go to Huai Prefecture and cut off Jiang Nansheng?
But he quickly realized. That’s right, the little Taoist had taken his Token to lure the enemy. If she encountered the Border Army from Yandi coming to rescue, they would naturally assume she was Li King!
However, this little Taoist’s boldness was simply too great! Impersonating me was understandable; the Black-clothed Man in the mountains was lured away by her.
But how did she dare to pass through Huai Prefecture so openly? And she cut off Jiang Nansheng’s hand!
That little Taoist, who almost fainted from exhaustion just digging a stone, has a sickly constitution. Jiang Nansheng is a military official. How did she cut off Jiang Nansheng’s hand?
Uh, even if Gu Changxiao racked his brain, he would never have thought that the little Taoist had a cheat!
The Space stored the knife, and she took it out instantly, as if retrieving something from thin air. Cutting off a small hand was simple.
If Jin Sui knew that she had only stabbed Jiang Nansheng’s hand, and it had already been spread that she had cut off his hand.
She would definitely be surprised and say, “So you ancient people don’t pay taxes for bragging either!”
Furthermore, Grandpa Ling saw that Gu Changxiao had woken up and was very interested in the matter of Li King, so he told him everything he had heard in town.
Upon hearing about the three thousand Border Army, Gu Changxiao’s lips tightened. He sneered inwardly. How could there be three thousand Border Army in Yandi to rescue him? At most three hundred.
Upon hearing that Li King rescued the Border Army alone and demanded Armor and Equipment and Provisions from Huai Prefecture.
Gu Changxiao gained respect for the little Taoist. She was risking her life to help me!
When he heard that Li King had the soldiers shout “Thank you, General Jiang, for your assistance” before leaving, Gu Changxiao couldn’t help but burst into laughter.
His wound split open, and Jin An quickly took clean cotton cloth to bandage it.
Grandpa Ling also laughed, “General Jiang suffered a silent loss. Not only did he get cut, but he also lost Armor and Equipment and Provisions, and was called out like that by Li King, making him so angry he spat blood.”
The common people outside all thought that Li King shouted this to anger Jiang Nansheng. It was the impetuousness of youth, to anger you before leaving.
But Gu Changxiao saw through the truth at a glance: “Jiang Nansheng is Prince Yu’s man. His daring to detain Li King’s troops was also at Prince Yu’s instigation.”
“This shout from Li King, when the news reaches Chang’an, do you think Prince Yu will assume that Jiang Nansheng betrayed him?”
“This sentence is like a stroke of genius.”
This young Taoist has schemes, courage, and quick wit. When I return to Yandi, I must make her my strategist!
Grandpa Ling listened in a daze, his gaze towards Gu Changxiao changing several times. This person dared to call General Jiang by his given name, was very knowledgeable about matters in Chang’an, and was so concerned about Li King. Could he be Li King’s subordinate?
At this moment, Gu Changxiao suddenly asked, “Daoist Ji, may I ask about the temperament and disposition of Little Daoist Ji Sui?”
Grandpa Ling chuckled, “That child is quiet, considerate, filial, and sensible…”
A string of praise for his own grandson came from Grandpa Ling’s mouth.
Gu Changxiao frowned as he listened. Although he had a brief interaction with Little Daoist Ji, he could sense that she was by no means the kind of person Grandpa Ling described.
Jin An couldn’t stand it any longer and said, “That was before. Now my brother is extremely bold.”
Grandpa Ling chuckled:
“His courage, indeed, has grown. When those more than ten bandits captured the old Taoist, （ he dared to go alone to rescue me. ）”
“I don’t know what kind of smoke he used, but it bewildered the bandits, allowing the old Taoist to escape safely.”
Jin An quickly said:
“We were surrounded by a wolf pack. After repelling them, my brother dared to chase the wolves alone with his saber, chasing the Wolf King for three miles （ bragging, only a few hundred meters ）, he had to kill five wolves before returning!”
From this, it can be seen that bragging is contagious…
But Gu Changxiao’s heart pounded as he listened. So, that seemingly frail little Taoist actually had the courage of a bear!
She had only been impersonating me for a few days, and she had already accomplished such a world-shaking feat.
If she were truly allowed to go to Yandi, she would probably turn Yandi upside down!
Begging for your prosperous little hands, please click to collect and give a vote, I am deeply grateful~
