Chapter 290.2: Ambushed?
“Unless someone promises them to separately arrange a place for them, including a household register, land, and so on, ensuring that all of them in the future can all live worry-free.” Jing Wan followed up.
“There’s benefit as a lure, and also as a threat.” However, in Li Hong Yuan’s eyes, it’s also possible for there to be a third party involved, creating a situation outside of the circumstances.
That’s right, one word out of line, and I will exterminate you. In any case, officials sending forces to destroy bandits, that is only natural and expected.
“Then, Ah Yuan wants to put out news that we ‘got murdered’?”
“Such an ominous matter, how can one put out? Just let nature take its course. Whatever news those people receive will be whatever it is. Once we reach Chongzhou Fu, that will be when it’s over with.” Towards other people’s impatience, Li Hong Yuan has always been very willing to laugh at. Especially since among these people, there were those scheming to kill him.
“The previous matter can just let it pass, but this time, it’s truly ‘life or death unknown’. Should we pass on a message to his Majesty and my grandparents?”
“On your grandparents’ side, prior to leaving the capital, already let someone inform them, if they hear any bad news, no need to pay attention, just wait another three to five days, then see.”
In other words, a certain someone really did make preparations long ago.
However, Li Hong Yuan just mentioned the Luo family, and not Le Cheng Emperor. Jing Wan also didn’t mention either. Although he was her father-in-law, towards that kind of scumbag, letting him worry and be anxious was also not bad.
Thus, Jing Wan also tossed aside all her misgivings, continuing to advance according to the scheduled itinerary, having this treated as a relatively fast paced trip.
Although because the things they brought along weren’t considered much, and even if it was complete in all aspects, the servants also not lacking, it still won’t be too comfortable. Jing Wan pretended to angrily grumble that it was Li Hong Yuan’s fault for having her raised increasingly delicate. Li Hong Yuan shamelessly expressed, even if a tigress of a military family, after marrying, would still become increasingly delicate in certain areas, else it certainly must be that her husband wasn’t good enough. Since he himself was sufficiently good, then for his wife to become delicate, that is only normal.
——–Where’s your face?
——–Already got eaten up by him eight hundred years ago.
Speaking of which, the number of people in their party also wasn’t few. This grandiose procession, aside from the clothes somewhat changing, and the number of times Li Hong Yuan and Jing Wan showed their faces few, along the way, they just did whatever they should be doing, not even remotely close with the word ‘low-key’, yet they didn’t attract any attention. Of course, this wasn’t unrelated to the fact that along the way, they didn’t pass through large cities.
On the night of the seventh, the sound asleep Li Hong Yuan got quietly woken up. Jing Wan was currently fast asleep in his arms. He didn’t move, just letting someone have the message sent onto the horse carriage.
Gong mama had the message handed to him, lighting a small lantern, only capable of illuminating a square cun[1] of area. Li Hong Yuan borrowed the light and quickly skimmed over the contents of the letter.
Li Hong Yuan’s expression didn’t change. So a third party really did appear. The people on their boat didn’t get ambushed, but rather on a relatively wide river surface, got openly and brazenly surrounded by the other party. The other party’s goal clearly wasn’t to kill, but rather capture alive, or can even say ‘invite’. Moreover, judging from that stance, they’ve seemingly been waiting for a long time already.
The letter was brief, and didn’t contain any details, just roughly explaining that, after considering, they didn’t take action, and instead followed them.
The other party in fact didn’t even touch the things on the boat, instead directly sinking the boat. After getting taken away, they didn’t get treated crudely either. Even for the sake of preventing them from learning the destination, they also just got locked in the hold of the ship. They didn’t get their eyes covered, and further didn’t get tied up. Lastly, they entered a hidden water fort, but from the looks of it, they don’t seem to be water bandits.
At present, they still haven’t met with the main boss. As such, the other party’s aim is still unclear.
The previous message had been immediately passed on as soon as they discovered something wrong, but to avoid inadvertently alerting the enemy, this second letter was passed on after entering the night.
Li Hong Yuan burned the letter without saying a single word, waving his hand to send away Gong mama before leaning back down and continuing to sleep, like as if nothing happened at all.
And on the morning of the eighth, Li Hong Yuan once again received news.
Jing Wan was currently using the morning meal. Seeing An Yi have the letter sent over, she casually asked, and Li Hong Yuan just handed the letter over to her.
And precisely because of this, Li Hong Yuan drank a jar of aged vinegar again. Just because, this letter didn’t come from the water fort, but rather Chongzhou Fu, regarding Shannan Prefecture’s regional inspector———Sun Yi Lin.
Because Jing Wan’s face revealed a surprised expression, Li Hong Yuan took it in, reaching out and taking back the letter. After reading it, his complexion darkened into the bottom of the pot, his eyes raging with storm, just hating that he can’t kill the person. Never mind not knowing anything at all and just doing something stupid on that side, he even let others think how deeply sentimental he was, but more importantly, he didn’t get stopped, even letting Wan Wan see. As expected, should have thoroughly disappeared. That way, he won’t have the opportunity to promote his existence.
Sun Yi Lin in the beginning was already an inner court scribe, and afterwards, traveled west, making quite the contribution. Afterwards, someone wanted him to leave the capital, and he himself was also willing, so left rather carefreely. Towards him, Le Cheng Emperor indeed had a bit of fondness, regarding him like a descendant. Seeing that he has the heart to contribute towards Qi Yuan, yet also unable to bear seeing him suffer hardships, he thus appointed him as Shannan Prefecture’s regional inspector, high sixth rank, responsible for carrying out inspections.
Shannan Prefecture was one of Jiangnan’s four prefectures, rich and flourishing. At least materialistically, don’t need to worry about him suffering.
The regional inspector although can’t interfere in the regional military and politics, but because carried out the duties of supervision, can directly report to the imperial court. As such, the position wasn’t high, yet enough important. In addition to his Ding Duke Manor backing, even people such as the Shannan’s Governor-General, Inspector General, and so on were all polite towards him.
Sun Yi Lin was raised cupped in the palm since childhood. Although not the kind that was arrogant and lawless, and have also come in contact with quite a few dirty and despicable things in the Ding Duke Manor before, but inherently, he was still someone that can’t tolerate a single grain of sand in his eyes. And moreover, his life was enough superior, not lacking in terms of money, and on women, Jing Wan was that hard to erase cinnabar in his heart. No matter how beautiful of a beauty, in his eyes, that was no different from dried bones[2]. As such, he just appeared somewhat unable to take in salt and grease, difficult to curry favor with, and can’t be bribed. On this bit, he was exactly the same as Li Hong Yuan.
Because of this, Sun Yi Lin’s job has continuously been not too smooth. He has taken post for more than half a year already, yet still hasn’t finished visiting Shannan Prefecture’s various fu, let alone the county towns below. However, after the initial impatience, he also gradually settled down, not rushing to make big progress either, adapting to officialdom step by step. Under the premise of not changing his original aspirations, feigning civility with people, adapting to the ways of the official circles, on one hand coldly watching from the side, and on the other hand, gradually turning from the passive one to the active one. His entire self was all rapidly maturing, and aside from his feelings towards Jing Wan, he seemingly was no longer that pure anymore.
When the matter of the courtyard exam got exposed, because the initial source wasn’t in Shannan Prefecture, and Sun Yi Lin’s position still wasn’t sufficient enough to come in contact with those things, he could only forcibly suppress the fretfulness in his heart. Afterwards, learning from the letters from the capital that this matter even involved the salt administration, involving an enormous amount of money, and knowing just how thorny this problem was, he once again contemplated inside who would be appointed the imperial envoy. Afterwards, learning that it was Jin Qinwang thoroughly investigating this matter, he instead felt much more relieved. After all, he can be considered to know the ‘true face’ of Jin Qinwang, and after carefully pondering inside, there seemingly was no candidate more suitable than Jin Qinwang. Because even if he needed even more money than the other princes in secret, he still didn’t lack it. As such, he didn’t need to extend his hand towards the salt administration.
[1] Chinese unit of area, 1 cun x 1 cun, or 3.5 cm x 3.5 cm
[2] The original line is 红颜枯骨 (beauty and dried bones), it’s a buddhist saying referring to how beauty is short-lived and will eventually turn into dried bones.
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