Chapter 106: The Situation Changes
On a night in early August, he was pursued by Tartars and, in a moment of panic, hid in the Qin Manor. She had pulled up the bedding and concealed him beneath the bed. She told him that great men do not fuss over trivial matters and that he should not take it to heart.
In Wuling Pavilion, he foresaw the turmoil after the recruitment and pacification and asked her to adopt Cherry. She smiled and said to him, “Great Chieftain, I promise you.” She indeed took excellent care of Cherry. While he was fighting in Yunnan, he received three letters from Cherry. The “Elder Sister Yu” mentioned by Cherry soothed Cherry’s wounds from losing her parents and gave her gentle yet firm maternal love.
He was grateful to her.
And he admired her.
“Great Chieftain, I want to ask you to elope with me.” “Elope with whom?” “With me—”
From the moment she brought the young maid to Shenju Mountain late at night to ask him to elope with her, he admired her. Her fiery spirit, courage, and strategic mind that surpassed ordinary women.
Now that she was in trouble, he naturally had to do something.
For her, for Cherry, and for the sake of “righteousness.”
“See you in three days.”
After saying this to Feng Gao, the One-Eyed Dragon swiftly circled around the great Buddha and disappeared into the bustling crowd of pilgrims in the blink of an eye.
After leaving the temple, Feng Gao quietly went to Qing Yue Pavilion.
Feng Gao had deliberately kept the news of the Tribute Wine incident from Cai Qingyao. He warned his Mother that it was cold and she should not go out these days. Fortunately, Cai Qingyao had always been reclusive and was unaware of the commotion or gossip in the streets.
She often wondered why Sang Yu didn’t visit. She used to come at least once every three days. Feng Gao said that Elder Sister was in her advanced months and found it difficult to move around. She believed him.
It was a dim winter night.
Cai Qingyao was sewing a small sock under the lamplight.
Seeing Feng Gao enter, she stood up and said, “Son, are you hungry? I saved some chicken soup for you; I’ll go get it now.”
Feng Gao helped her sit down and said, “I’m not hungry, Mother. I have something to discuss with you.”
Cai Qingyao said, “What’s there to discuss? Just do as you please in all matters.”
Feng Gao lowered his head and said, “I want to take you to live somewhere else.”
He had actually considered this issue for a long time. He knew his mother was reluctant to leave Qing Yue Pavilion; it was like a time capsule, locking in her old dreams with Zhang Taiyue from their youth. Everything, from the objects to the furnishings, was related to Zhang Taiyue. However, after Sang Yu was released from prison, they would have to flee together, and he had to take his mother with him.
Firstly, he feared retaliation from the Zheng Family. Although others did not know his relationship with Cai Qingyao, in the eyes of outsiders, Cai Qingyao was Qin Mingxu’s mother. If they disappeared, the Zheng Family would surely vent their anger on her.
Secondly, this time they were leaving Yangzhou, they might never return. He had finally managed to extricate himself from the Imperial Court, and from now on, he should serve his mother every day.
Cai Qingyao became a little flustered and asked, “Why do we need to move? Did something happen?”
Feng Gao quickly shook his head, put his arm around his mother’s shoulders, and said, “Nothing, nothing. I resigned from my post, bought a house elsewhere, and acquired some land. I just want to take Mother with me.”
“Ah, you resigned from your post.”
Cai Qingyao became happy: “That’s wonderful, truly wonderful. I was always worried that you wouldn’t be able to resign and that you would be able to leave so soon.”
In an instant, she started crying again: “If only Taiyue had listened to me earlier and given up that business, he wouldn’t have ended up like that! What’s the point of the country, the emperor, or the court compared to one’s own life…”
Feng Gao wiped her tears and said, “Mother, don’t cry. Everything will be good from now on.”
“What about Sang Yu and Xu’er?”
“They’re coming with us.”
“Are you not doing business anymore?”
“Yes, no more. The Imperial Court’s taxes are getting heavier by the day. The higher-ups are extravagant and wasteful, plundering the people. Fearing rebellion, they then plunder the merchants. Elder Sister’s money has largely gone into the national treasury. It’s best to let it go.”
“Good, good, it’s good that you’re not doing it anymore,” Cai Qingyao nodded.
“When do we leave?”
“In three days.”
Cai Qingyao insisted on fetching the chicken soup from the kitchen and watched Feng Gao drink it. The mother and son talked for a while longer under the lamplight before resting.
The night wind brushed past Qing Yue Pavilion, the bamboo forest, and the eaves of the house.
The fifteenth day of the twelfth lunar month.
The last full moon night of the year.
The winter full moon was particularly large. Yangzhou City, bathed in moonlight, seemed to flow with deep affection.
Starting from the hour of Hai (9 PM), the One-Eyed Dragon deliberately showed himself to the pursuers from the Ministry of War, leading them on a chase. He led the pursuers in a large circle, north, south, east, and west, until the hour of Zi (11 PM), and finally to the prison gates.
At this moment, Qin Mingxu had just emerged from the prison with his wife and Cherry.
A water wheel from the city happened to pass by.
The water wheel. The Zheng Family’s horse carriage. The Ministry of War’s pursuers and the One-Eyed Dragon.
The area outside the prison gates immediately became chaotic.
The water wheel and the Zheng Family’s horse carriage had a brief intersection.
Feng Gao, hiding in the shadows, gave Qin Mingxu a look. Qin Mingxu, pulling Sang Yu and Cherry, hurried onto the water wheel.
On the horse in front of the Zheng Family’s carriage, a person resembling Feng Gao, clad in a black robe and wearing a black hat, dismounted. That person rode towards Guanyin Mountain.
The One-Eyed Dragon slipped into the Zheng Family’s carriage and shot a dart at the horse, causing it to bolt. The pursuers immediately chased after the carriage.
Feng Gao, along with Cai Qingyao, Zhu Xifeng, and Hua Lian, retreated into another narrow alley.
According to the plan, half an hour later, Feng Gao and his group would rendezvous with the water wheel carrying Qin Mingxu and Sang Yu in the forest five li outside the South City Gate.
By this time, Cai Qingyao had guessed that something major had happened. She held Feng Gao’s hand. Mother and son walked forward, leaning on each other. Zhu Xifeng and Hua Lian, having just been released from prison, although unaware of the details, deeply understood Feng Gao’s feelings for Sang Yu and his strategic mind, and followed closely behind Feng Gao.
The Zheng Family’s carriage traveled for about a quarter of an hour before reaching a small river.
The One-Eyed Dragon removed the bottom board of the carriage and crawled out from underneath, falling into the river. The carriage continued to move, and the pursuers continued to chase.
They arrived at Guanyin Mountain.
The traps were getting closer with each step.
The person on horseback heard three eagle calls and leaped from his horse onto a nearby tree.
The carriage stopped.
The pursuers unexpectedly fell into a trap.
The people ambushing for the Zheng Family rushed out. They had no idea that those in the trap were from the Ministry of War, people from the Imperial Court. They only cared about killing. They clearly remembered Zheng Tai’s orders: kill the people in the trap, kill Feng Gao.
As for the pursuers who did not fall into the trap, some were busy rescuing their companions in the trap; others were busy searching for the One-Eyed Dragon in the carriage, which was already empty. They then chased after the man in black on horseback.
The man in black was actually one of the One-Eyed Dragon’s men. Because his build was most similar to Feng Gao’s, he was entrusted with this important task tonight. He had grown up in the mountains and forests and was nicknamed “Drilling Mountain Tiger.” He could move through the dense forest as if it were flat ground, and those people could do nothing to him.
Guanyin Mountain was in chaos.
Weapons clashed, and there were countless casualties.
Zheng Tai, waiting to spring the net and impatient, sent people to scout Guanyin Mountain and realized he had been tricked by Qin Mingxu and Feng Gao working together…
Fortunately, under Consort Zheng’s instructions, he had a backup plan.
It had to be said that Consort Zheng, having spent many years in the Imperial Palace, was indeed more skilled.
Zheng Tai smashed several teacups in his manor and smiled coldly. Tonight, there were informants at the four city gates of Yangzhou, north, south, east, and west. In a moment, a report came from the South City Gate.
Zheng Tai sternly ordered his subordinates: “Bring Ning Yue and set off!”
“Yes!”
Ning Yue was bound all over, her mouth gagged with a cloth strip, and she was in a panic, unable to utter a single word.
Her abdomen was stuffed with cotton, making it bulge, looking even more like Sang Yu.
Zheng Tai grabbed Ning Yue’s chin with his hand and then flung it away: “Today, you will accompany me and that eunuch and put on a good show!”
The South City Gate was closed.
Feng Gao and his group were pondering how to get out of the city.
The sound of hooves and footsteps approached from all directions.
A net was cast.
Feng Gao’s palms began to sweat. He realized the situation had changed.
Meanwhile, the One-Eyed Dragon, having narrowly escaped, waited for Feng Gao in the forest but did not find him.
The One-Eyed Dragon’s eyes darkened. With the sworn brothers who had escaped with him from the Capital City, he rushed towards the South City Gate…
Tonight, a bloody battle was inevitable!
