Chapter 21: Leaving Zhao County
The Embroidered Uniform Guard mobilized soldiers to surround Zhao County Town for a day and a night, conducting a dragnet search for a day and a night, capturing many thieves and kidnappers, but the villain who killed over a dozen people overnight left no trace.
But the investigation stopped.
“The villain actually ran away long ago,” the shop assistant said animatedly. “Last night the soldiers discovered him outside and chased after him.”
So they stopped handling things on this side of Zhao County Town.
The soldiers withdrew, and the city gate opened early in the morning.
Quite a few people also gathered on the street to discuss.
The customers in the hall shouted, “We said long ago it was impossible for him to still be here,” “What a waste of so much time,” “Chickens flying and dogs jumping,” “I see these Embroidered Uniform Guards aren’t all that capable.”
Hearing someone say this, the shop assistant threatened, “Watch out or they’ll grab you for interrogation and show you what they’re capable of.”
That man was frightened and didn’t dare say more, shouldering his bundle and hurrying away, fearing the city gate would close again if he was too slow.
In the blink of an eye, everyone in the inn was gone, but Yang Luo and Mo Zheng stayed until the end.
The two even ate breakfast.
“The young lady suffered a fright but remains composed,” the shop assistant praised.
Yang Luo said, “We’ve already been frightened anyway, there’s nothing more to be afraid of.” She then instructed behind her, “A Sheng, walk slower.”
Mo Zheng leaned on the bamboo pole, slowly taking steps.
The shop assistant hurriedly stepped forward to support her: “Little miss, you’ve really suffered.” He also asked with concern, “Do you want to find a doctor to take a look?”
Yang Luo smiled and said, “We’re not that composed. Let’s still leave Zhao County Town and find a medical clinic on the road to check.”
The shop assistants were all amused, sending the master and servant onto the carriage, watching the young guard drive the horse with his uninjured hand, carrying his own young lady away at a trot.
Unlike when entering the city, the city gate was now crowded with people, moving in and out slowly.
Yang Luo lifted the carriage curtain to look; the corpses of the Jiang Family and Li Family at the city gate entrance had been cleared away, but some people were burning incense, candles, and paper money at the city gate entrance, many of them children.
They were all students taught by Jiang Wangchun.
Although the Embroidered Uniform Guard said there was a secret report accusing Jiang Wangchun of treason, there was no final conclusion in the end, and it was known that people from the Li Family killed people from the Jiang Family, so the Jiang Family clearly suffered an undeserved calamity no matter how you look at it, and many people couldn’t care less about avoiding suspicion and still came to pay respects.
“This Mr. Jiang must have been a very good person,” Yang Luo said softly.
Mo Zheng also looked at the fireworks rising over there, the scattering paper money, and softly hummed, suddenly turning to look at Yang Luo.
“Do you want to get down and burn some too?” he said.
She should burn some too? Yang Luo was stunned for a moment; although she pitied the Jiang Family too, she didn’t really know them…
“After we go out, we’ll head straight to the ferry to take a boat, going south by water route is very fast, and we’ll completely leave Yuzhou today,” Mo Zheng said in a low voice, looking at Yang Luo. “You, pay respects to your mother one more time.”
Yes, Zhao County Town and Lu County are adjacent, both belonging to Yuzhou, so strictly speaking it’s still her hometown; leaving Yuzhou and entering a new prefecture would be different.
Yang Luo looked toward the direction of Lu County; to avoid exposing her identity, she hadn’t gone to see her mother’s corpse, so now while many people were paying respects to Jiang Wangchun, she could pay respects and talk to her mother.
“Okay.” She nodded, with a bit of gratitude. “A Sheng, you’ve thought of everything.”
Mo Zheng shook his head: “Actually, I want to pay respects too.”
Oh yes, he was from Lu County too, and the old hunter who took him in and raised him was also buried in the mountains of Lu County.
Yang Luo jumped straight down from the carriage: “I’ll go buy two portions of burning materials.”
……
…….
On the undulating hills, Wei Jiao sat on the ground, twirling the small snake sword in his hand, gazing from afar at the smoke rising from the Zhao County Town city gate.
“Captain, should we announce the fact that Jiang Wangchun colluded with remnants of the previous dynasty?” an Embroidered Uniform Guard said beside him, his expression grim. “To avoid letting the civilians think we wronged him.”
Wei Jiao said lazily: “It’s better if they think we wronged him, making everyone think we have no evidence and are making wild guesses, not taking it seriously—then those people will dare to show their heads and stir trouble.”
Hoofbeats came from the foot of the hill; several Embroidered Uniform Guards jumped off their horses and hurried over, kneeling with a thud and saluting Wei Jiao.
“Your subordinate is incompetent; we came up empty,” they said.
Not long after interrogating Old Madam Li at the Li Family yesterday, the Embroidered Uniform Guards on outer defense reported that they had spotted traces again of the villain who had been chased to Lu County earlier but then lost.
It was now known that the villain who killed the Jiang Family was Li Zhen and his son, but the Li Family father and son had been killed, and from interrogating Old Madam Li, it was learned that there were another group of people behind the whole matter—actually two groups.
These people behind the scenes were the ones truly connected to the previous dynasty treasure.
So Wei Jiao immediately took men to leave Zhao County Town and pursue the investigation, but once again the trail went cold.
However, looking at the Embroidered Uniform Guards prostrated on the ground, Wei Jiao showed no anger on his face; instead, he smiled.
“I know, you wouldn’t find them,” he said. “Because that was deliberately luring us away.”
Deliberately? The Embroidered Uniform Guards looked at him.
Wei Jiao curled his lip: “Not appearing sooner or later, but showing up right when we’re searching Zhao County Town—what a stupid coincidence.”
He stood up, and the small snake sword between his fingers slipped into his sleeve cuff and vanished.
“Sacrificing one to lure us away—the purpose was naturally to let the villain hiding in Zhao County Town escape.”
Although no abnormal people were found in the Zhao County Town search, he wasn’t disappointed in the slightest and wasn’t anxious either.
“As long as we make a big fuss, the thieves will inevitably panic and jump out themselves.”
Sure enough, they jumped out.
He looked at the Embroidered Uniform Guards.
“Leave some manpower to watch Zhao County Town, and also widely distribute the information on out-of-towners registered during the search to all places, to investigate true and false.”
Wei Jiao extended his hand and drew a circle toward the distant Zhao County Town.
The fish was among them.
……
…….
The bamboo pole gently pushed in the river water, creating a ripple.
“A Sheng.” Yang Luo waved from the cabin. “Don’t stand at the bow; come down quickly. You have wounds and can’t be exposed to the wind.”
The boatman at the bow was over forty, with a kind face, and chuckled, “Little miss, hurry inside; first time on a boat, be careful not to get seasick.”
Mo Zheng retracted the bamboo pole, nodded to the boatman, walked down from the bow, and entered the cabin.
Yang Luo’s brows and eyes full of joy as she looked around the cabin.
“Although it’s a bit expensive, chartering the boat is still convenient,” she said.
The cabin was large, with two small beds placed, no other customers, just one boatman—very quiet.
Mo Zheng nodded, placing the previous map on the table for her to see: “Although we were delayed in Zhao County Town, switching to water route and then land route, we’ll enter the capital city boundary in seven days.”
Yang Luo looked at the simple marks on the map, her gaze falling on the two words for capital city.
“Pretty fast,” she said softly.
Perhaps because the capital city was mentioned, Yang Luo was restless again in her dreams that night.
Her little face was tightly furrowed, emitting whimpering sounds.
“Zhu Yunxiao, why kill me?”
Zhu Yunxiao—Mo Zheng silently repeated this name.
Yang Luo’s voice turned angry again.
“Great Uncle, do you want me dead too?”
Great Uncle—that was Duke Ding’an.
The man in the capital city whose identity wasn’t clear, and the relative uncle, were both this girl’s nightmare.
Mo Zheng watched as Yang Luo’s breathing grew more rapid, seeming about to suffocate to death in her sleep; he extended his hand and gently pressed her neck, Yang Luo’s head tilted slightly, and she fell into a coma.
“Since you have secrets to hide from people,” Mo Zheng said softly, “you should learn to stay clear-headed even in dreams.”
……
…….
The river surface at night was pitch black; the lamps hanging at the four corners of the boat swayed, their light and shadows shattering in the river water.
The small boat was still slowly moving.
The boatman hugged the oars, hunched over, seemingly asleep.
“Uncle Hong, was it you who lured away the Embroidered Uniform Guard?”
Mo Zheng asked softly.
The boatman was startled awake, turning to look at the youth standing behind him: “Young Master, you scared me to death.” He added, “Everyone was nearly scared to death.”
