coobybook Chapter 173 Night
Chapter 173 Night
After getting off the carriage, Li Xiaonuan and the others were led to a secluded, low-ceilinged house. The junior officer had previously mentioned that they would be locked in a forbidden room. Clearly, this was the legendary forbidden room.
Li Xiaonuan looked around and found that this place was no different from the impoverished Li family home she had lived in when she first transmigrated. The only difference was that the windows of this low house were built quite high and were very small.
Li Xiaonuan observed carefully and realized that those windows couldn't really be called windows at all. Even a five-year-old child like Xiaojun couldn't climb out of those openings.
The small house was surrounded by stone walls nearly two and a half meters high, made of large, neatly hewn bricks. After entering the small courtyard enclosed by high walls, Li Xiaonuan and her companions were divided into two groups, men and women, and locked in two separate rooms.
Before nightfall, Li Dacai and his family members were all brought here one after another. The forbidden room was instantly filled with the Li family. Especially Li Xiaonuan's room, which was full of women and children, was extremely lively.
It was early autumn, and although the days were sweltering, the nights were quite cool. The forbidden room contained nothing but two rows of bed boards, not even a handful of straw.
What's more, the most terrifying thing in this mountain forest is the mosquitoes, which are as dense as hairs on a cow. Especially the three youngest children, Jun, Xiaoxian and Xiaozheng, had only been there for half an hour when they were already tormented by the mosquitoes.
While Mao and Chen were tenderly brushing away mosquitoes and scratching the itches for Xiaoxian and Xiaozheng, they sighed and lamented.
It wasn't that Chen didn't want to question Li Xiaonuan about what trouble she had gotten herself into. But before coming, the fifth son, Li Dali, had warned her to keep her mouth shut and not say anything. Therefore, even if Chen was filled with hatred, she dared not show it.
While applying some saliva to Xiaojun's insect bites to relieve the itching, the old lady discussed the matter with Li Xiaonuan.
"Xiao Nuan, do you think we could ask them for some bundles of grass to repel mosquitoes? I don't think we can hold out like this. Also, the nights in the mountains are so cold. What will Xiao Jun and the others do if they don't have blankets or anything?" The old lady said with a bitter face, feeling more and more heartbroken as she spoke.
Li Xiaonuan thought about it and agreed that this wouldn't work. She said, "I'll go to the door and ask if I can get something."
Just as Li Xiaonuan and her companions were feeling utterly hopeless about surviving the night, deep in the mountains, Zhou Liufeng, carrying a large knife, was huffing and puffing as he climbed southwest. In a cave halfway up the mountain ahead of him, a man leaned weakly against the cliff face, speaking in a language unfamiliar to Qisong.
Meanwhile, Wei Yu, Qi Ji, and Sang Moyun had arrived outside the military camp one after another. Qi Ji, looking exhausted, glanced at Wei Yu, who was waiting to enter the camp, and asked, "I called you several times on the way, why didn't you answer?"
Wei Yu replied expressionlessly, "I'm in a hurry."
Qi Ji remained silent.
After dismounting, Sang Moyun leaned against a camphor tree outside the camp, and it took her a while to recover. She went up to him and complained, "Brother Yu, even if you're in a hurry, you can't pretend you didn't hear us calling you. I almost got thrown off my horse."
Wei Yu remained expressionless and said calmly, "You two were in a hurry to get here too, so why are you arguing about these things? When we go inside, neither of you should act on your own. You both have to listen to me, understand?"
Although the tone was flat, the commanding manner was undeniable.
Sang Moyun pursed her lips but didn't object. Qi Ji hadn't had any particular thoughts either, so she went along with Wei Yu. The three of them stood quietly at the entrance of the military camp, none of them intending to speak.
The chirping of crickets echoed across the fields, and the area outside the military camp was utterly silent. Occasionally, a nocturnal bird would fly out from the surrounding forests, startling Sang Moyun so much that she would huddle closer to Wei Yu and Qi Ji. The owls that were foraging for food also chirped cutely from time to time, adding a touch of mystery to the quiet night.
Soon, one of Prince Jing's attendants came out and led Wei Yu and the other two inside.
"How are Miss Li and the others? It's so late, have you sent them any food?" Qi Ji asked as he hurried inside.
"Not yet. The Prince is negotiating with the General, but they haven't reached an agreement. Miss Li has nothing yet," the attendant replied.
"So what has your prince been doing all afternoon?" Wei Yu asked, somewhat displeased.
"His Highness only just met the General, so he didn't get anything done," the attendant said, feeling aggrieved on behalf of his master.
"Who is the general stationed here?" Qi Ji asked. It wasn't that he didn't know; he simply had no interest in officialdom. If it weren't for this matter, he might never have cared about the border guards here in his entire life.
Wei Yu thought for a moment and tried hard to search his memory for information about the general of Yongzhou Prefecture.
“It’s Qian Lin, Qian Dafu’s younger brother. He has no one in the court to curry favor with. He’s brave and resourceful, but not cunning enough,” Wei Yu told him what he knew.
"Qian Dafu? Isn't that the garrison commander of Xinzhou Village now?" Qi Ji said knowingly.
The Qian family is a rising power in the court, having followed the current emperor in conquering the country and accumulating numerous military merits. The men of their clan are all brave and courageous. On the battlefield, they are both valiant in killing the enemy and resourceful in repelling them. In short, the status and reputation they have earned are well-deserved.
Because of their unshakeable position and power in the military, many nobles and ambitious people were trying to win them over. However, the Qian family was quite interesting; no matter how others tried to please and win them over, they always maintained an attitude of "I am only loyal to the person on the throne."
“Although Qian Lin lacks cunning, he has two very capable deputy generals by his side. I think those two may have been bribed, which is why they instigated Qian Lin to neglect Prince Jing,” Wei Yu said worriedly.
"What is their reason for targeting Prince Jing? Prince Jing is a dignified prince, how can a mere general afford to be disrespectful?" Qi Ji was puzzled.
"Perhaps, the title of Prince Jing no longer poses a threat to them. That's why they act recklessly and are not afraid of being held accountable," Wei Yu analyzed.
"Could this incident also involve Prince Jing?" Qi Ji wondered.
"No, this incident is aimed at Prince Jing. Everything is being prepared for Prince Jing. That's right, someone is setting a trap for Prince Jing." Wei Yu suddenly felt that he had found a breakthrough, and all the mysteries were solved.
Sang Moyun followed silently behind the group, wisely remaining silent. She knew nothing about those topics, nor did she intend to. Her current concern was for Li Xiaonuan and her family, feeling that things were now even more difficult for them.
When gods fight, it's always the mortals who suffer.