Chapter 260: Jiangling

Hua Zhi didn’t linger any longer in Zhenyang. Despite her injuries, which throbbed with each step as if her flesh was being torn apart, she checked out of the inn early the next morning.

“Miss Hua! Miss Hua, wait!”

This voice had become all too familiar over the past few days. Hua Zhi turned to the figure on the dock, a young man with a bundle on his back rushing towards the boat. “Young Master Jiang, this is…”

“Well, I don’t really have anything pressing to do, so it doesn’t matter if I return sooner or later. I’ll just hitch a ride on Miss Hua’s boat.”

After their joint battle against the enemy, Hua Zhi viewed Jiang Huanran differently from the other young masters of the capital. Though she was not overly enthusiastic, she was no longer as cold towards him as before.

She nodded, saying, “The boat is large, and there are many empty rooms. Feel free to make yourself at home, Young Master Jiang.”

“Thank you, Miss Hua.” Jiang Huanran smiled widely, a genuine smile that was not at all irritating.

Hua Zhi returned the smile and slowly walked towards the cabin.

As soon as her back was turned, Jiang Huanran secretly inhaled sharply, his face contorting in pain. The running had seemed to aggravate his wounds. It really hurt. Miss Hua's injuries were clearly worse than his, yet she showed no sign of pain. He couldn’t help but admire her.

Who would have thought?

A young lady raised in such a sheltered environment, while other girls complained about the pain of embroidery, she was out there fighting for her life. He had only been out once and had already encountered such a thing. Who knew what she had been through in the year since the Hua family’s downfall.

If he were to tell others about this, no one would believe him. It was better that way. The less people knew about Miss Hua’s extraordinary nature, the better. When he returned, he would have his mother propose a marriage!

Lost in thought and daydreams, Jiang Huanran grinned again, and even the pain in his wounds seemed to lessen.

The journey from Zhenyang to Jiangling took two and a half days. During this time, Hua Zhi did not leave her cabin. Besides resting, Xiao Liu spent most of his time by Hua Zhi’s side. Hua Zhi would casually talk to him about various things, not in the form of rigid lectures but using real-life examples.

The Gu family had held the throne for nearly two hundred years. The fact that the empire remained relatively stable indicated that the Gu family members were not fools. Xiao Liu was especially intelligent, and he had a unique talent for summarizing. Every time Hua Zhi finished a story, he could quickly extract the essence, which was exactly what the story was trying to convey.

Having such a bright student was very rewarding for Hua Zhi. She didn’t see anything wrong with sharing her knowledge with others, whether it was Wu Xiaoshuang waiting outside or Jiang Huanran who often dropped by. As for what they could understand from her words, that was up to them.

As expected, the boat docked at the inner harbor of Jiangling.

Shaoyao, who had been suppressing her temper for several days, could no longer hold it in. She was filled with murderous intent, looking like she was about to devour someone at any moment. Jiang Huanran avoided this veiled woman whenever he saw her.

“Caocao, this is a personal matter. Since my status is questionable, I won’t go with you.”

Shao Yao nodded immediately, "You should rest well. I never intended to take you along. Xiao Liu, come with me. I'll let you see how the Seven Stars Bureau (Qisu Si) operates!"

Hua Zhi frowned slightly and didn't stop her. It was good to see. A bird kept in a golden cage couldn't withstand a storm.

Not caring about the consequences, Shao Yao didn't want to wait a moment longer. She had the captured people tied together and thrown off the boat, heading straight for the Governor's Mansion. Yu Tao, following her orders, went outside the city to invite the garrison commander, Li Shiren.

Only Bao Xia, Xu Ying, and Jiang Huanran remained on the boat. Even Wu Xiaoshuang was taken away by the Sixth Prince. In the past three days, he had learned that this child, younger than him, was his future master.

Jiang Huanran stood at the bow of the boat, watching everyone leave, his expression grave. He vaguely sensed something but couldn't be sure. If it was as he suspected, then the Hua family...

Inside the room, Bao Xia asked Xu Ying to guard outside and told him not to leave for a moment. Then she carefully closed the door. With so many men on the boat, she was very worried.

"Miss, why did you reject Miss Shao Yao's suggestion? It would be good to leave one of those guards behind."

"Shao Yao needs more people than I do, and she left me something to defend myself with. That's enough. Go tell the captain to set sail and leave the shore, but don't go too far."

Bao Xia was confused, "I don't understand..."

"Just in case." Hua Zhi was used to making the worst-case scenario. If the other party knew that this boat was a companion of Caocao and wanted to use her to threaten the Seven Stars Bureau (Qisu Si), she could leave immediately and let Caocao have no worries. If Caocao needed help, she could also return in time.

Considering the deterrence of the Seven Stars Bureau (Qisu Si) in the Daqing Dynasty, it was unlikely that things would come to this.

*

Over there, Shao Yao had already arrived at the Governor's Mansion, "Beat the drum."

Yu Tao stepped forward and took the drumstick. With all his strength concentrated in his arms, he struck the drum louder and louder. On the ninth strike, the drum burst.

Soon, someone came out from inside, looking fierce and about to shout. But when he saw so many people outside, he lost his courage. Seeing the broken drum, he took a step back and stood firm, trembling and asking, "Who are you? What are you doing beating the drum?"

The drum of the Governor's Mansion had been placed outside for many years. It was rare to hear it once a year, let alone ten years. Ordinary people couldn't afford that price.

Shao Yao pushed Zheng Bei forward hard. When he was only two steps away from the servant, he fell to the ground. Without Shao Yao saying anything more, Zheng Bei immediately crawled over and cried, "Manager Wen, it's me, Manager Wen. These people want to kill me. Please save me, save me..."

Manager Wen originally wanted to avoid him but because he recognized the voice, he was knocked down. He took two steps back before he could barely stand firm. "Young Master Zheng? You are Young Master Zheng? Oh my, what happened to you? How did you become like this?"

Zheng Bei's appearance at this moment was indeed a bit miserable. It would be an understatement to describe him as bruised and swollen. His face was so swollen that it seemed to be shining, as if it would burst open and bleed if touched. His hair was disheveled, and he looked as miserable as he could be.

At this time, the guards who were a step slower also came out. As soon as they saw the situation, they drew their swords and stood on guard.

Shao Yao snorted coldly and whipped Zheng Bei back with another lash, "Call Mu Yunyang out."

Wen, the steward, dared not delay and immediately went to fetch him.

Mu Yunyang, a man in his fifties with a neatly trimmed short beard, arrived quickly. Accompanying him was his beautiful wife, Zheng Shi, whom he had married not long ago. It was clear that he had not been engaged in any serious business in the middle of the day.

Zheng Shi searched anxiously through the crowd, "Xiaobei, Xiaobei, where are you?"

Shao Yao rolled Zheng Bei towards her with a whip, but he was rolling on the ground.

Zheng Shi's face turned pale with fright, but she still managed to keep her composure, covering her mouth to stifle her scream. Seeing her brother's condition, she immediately burst into tears, "Xiaobei, oh heavens, Xiaobei... Master, Master, you must look at this..."

———TN: So, tell me—what’s the game plan for this Christmas and New Year’s? Got anything thrilling or wickedly exciting lined up, or are you leaving it wide open for something unforgettable?