Wuduhe was a remote town on the border between the Kingdom of Qing and Northern Qi. Because it was not a battleground, no major battles had taken place there for many years. However, both sides had their own garrisons, so skirmishes were inevitable. When the two countries focused their trade and war efforts on the vassal states south of Wuduhe, the town became even more depressed and silent.
Fan Xian knew that this town belonged to Northern Wei 20 years ago, and was later incorporated into the Kingdom of Qing.
So the townspeople did not feel close to the diplomatic mission. It seemed that it would take some time for the people of the country to truly accept the fact that their ruler had changed.
The glazed tiles of the town reflected a dim light into the sky. Sitting in the carriage, Fan Xian narrowed his eyes and kept thinking about what he should do after entering Northern Qi.
The secret that Xiao En spoke of was something that Fan Xian had to obtain. This was even more important than the mission and interests of the Kingdom of Qing! Because the temple was connected to Uncle Wu Zhu, and the words his mother had left in the chest had revealed that she had once snuck into the temple and stolen something.
A faint smile rose to the corners of Fan Xian's lips. He had never seen his mother, but, strangely, he loved that woman called Ye Qingmei very much. Thinking of how, many years ago, a little girl had secretly run into an illusory Temple that no one knew she was in, he sighed in admiration. He sighed in admiration of his mother's courage, courage, and wisdom.
Fan Xian knew that he was not as good as his mother, but this fact did not discourage him in the slightest. On the contrary, it made him more eager to face this seemingly beautiful, but actually very dangerous, second life.
So he needed to know where the temple was, and then feel the place where his mother had stepped, and feel the scent that she had left behind.
— — — —
Outside Wuduhe was a small river, which was now the border between Northern Qi and the Kingdom of Qing. A temporary bridge had already been built across the river, and it could accommodate a single carriage.
Officials from Northern Qi and the official from the Chamberlain of Dependencies were waiting on the other side of the bridge for the diplomatic mission to arrive. On the other side of the river, the lethargic, sallow, and emaciated local soldiers were also on guard. Looking at the way they held their spears, one could not help but wonder if they were displaying the dignity of their country's military, or if they were hugging their spears to sleep.
The first carriage stepped onto the bridge. The wheels of the carriage made contact with the undulating and simple wooden bridge, making a creaking sound. It looked as if the bridge could collapse at any time. It was a little scary.
Fan Xian had already gotten off the carriage. He strolled to the other end of the bridge and greeted the Northern Qi officials who had come to greet him. He then turned his head to watch the carriages behind him slowly roll over the bridge, one after the other. The bridge seemed to be increasingly unable to withstand the continuous violence, and the creaking grew louder.
Seeming to notice Fan Xian's worry, the Northern Qi official hurriedly explained, "I have. There is no problem."
Fan Xian nodded. He knew that when two countries interacted, everything was judged by strength. There was no need for him to be overly friendly with this low-ranking official. His mind was mainly focused on the convoy of carriages. If Haitang truly wanted to silence Xiao En, then this bridge would be her last chance.
As the female disciple of the grandmaster Ku He, she had to be responsible for her master's reputation, as well as the safety of the people of Northern Qi. So she could not act within the borders of her country.
Suddenly, Fan Xian's heart skipped a beat. He slowly turned around and saw a forest of poplar trees on the southeastern bank of the river. The trees were thin, but they pierced the sky. They looked as solemn as the long spears of an army.
A village girl dressed in flowery clothes was carrying a basket as she watched the carriages pass by. A cool breeze blew past, lifting the flowery cloth wrapped around her head, revealing an ordinary face and a pair of clear eyes.
Fan Xian smiled at the girl named Haitang, and nodded imperceptibly to show his gratitude, as well as to express his goodwill. He knew that after going to Shangjing, Northern Qi, he would inevitably have to deal with her again, and Chen Pingping had told him to find a way to get close to Ku He.
Haitang was different from what Fan Xian had imagined when he was in the capital. She was not as beautiful as Shi Feixuan, but she was more beautiful than Shi Feixuan. The former beauty referred to her appearance, while the latter referred to her temperament.
Fan Xian had always believed that there were no fairies in the world. If there were, then they must be female ghosts in disguise.
Although Haitang had come to assassinate Xiao En, and had once wanted to kill Fan Xian, Fan Xian still admired her. On the one hand, he admired the girl's powerful and natural strength. On the other hand, when Haitang had pointed at Fan Xian's nose like a shrew on the meadow, her country-girl vibe had really made Fan Xian like her.
The carriage stopped beside Fan Xian. He lifted the curtain and entered, not looking at the riverbank again.
— — —
Crossing the river and through the forest, the convoy of carriages arrived on the official road under the protection of the Northern Qi army. Fan Xian sniffed the air and looked at the green trees on the side of the road. He felt a little strange — had he left the country? How come he didn't feel anything at all?
The formation on the official road was rather frightening. To the left and right of the convoy were two groups. One group was made up entirely of women. There were young maids, nimble middle-aged servants, and old, gloomy nannies. The other group was made up of men, but they were even gloomier than the women. They wore embroidered robes and carried curved swords at their waists. Their bodies exuded a sinister aura.
At least half of the people in the diplomatic mission were from the Overwatch Council of Qing. As soon as the convoy set out on the official road and saw the group of men with curved swords, a strong sense of hostility began to brew. Everyone's hands unconsciously touched the hilts of the straight swords at their waists.
The Overwatch Council of Qing and the Brocade Guard of Northern Qi were the two most secretive and dangerous secret service organizations in the world. Over the past decade or so, the two sides had crossed swords countless times, both in the open and in the shadows. The battle between spies and counter-spies was always cruel and merciless. The hands of both sides had long since been stained with the blood of the other.
Today, suddenly meeting on the official road, both sides began to smell the scent of the other, and their eyes began to turn red.
The officials of Northern Qi hurriedly came forward to explain to Fan Xian. Fan Xian didn't mind. He waved his hand, telling his subordinates to relax a little. After all, today they had come for the sake of the friendship between the two countries separated by a strip of water. It was the seven Tiger Guards behind him who kept their cool the whole time.
They were indeed two neighboring countries separated by a strip of water, and the feeling was even more obvious as they passed through Wuduhe.
Without waiting for a rest, Fan Xian immediately had his subordinates begin to arrange the handover ceremony. Wang Qinian was a little puzzled. "Why don't we continue to hold Xiao En? Perhaps on the way to Shangjing, we can get some information out of him. " He didn't know what secrets Xiao En held, but as Fan Xian's confidant, he naturally knew what Fan Xian wanted.
Fan Xian shook his head and calmly said, "Forget it. It's not that convenient to travel with these Northern Qi spies. It's better to leave him to them, and we'll have less to worry about. If anything happens to Xiao En along the way, naturally Northern Qi will take responsibility. Would they dare not return Yan Bingyun to us? "
Although he said this, Fan Xian still felt a little depressed. Once they entered Shangjing, Xiao En might not be able to keep his life under the pressure of Ku He's position. Even if Xiao En regained his power because of his relationship with Shang Shanhu, Fan Xian had no better way to pry open Xiao En's yellow, old, and tight-lipped mouth.
The clanking of chains rang out, and Fan Xian watched coldly as the old man was helped out of the carriage. Both of Xiao En's legs were broken, so it was particularly difficult for him to get out of the carriage. His trousers at the knee gave off a faint, sweet smell of blood.
Most of the Brocade Guards of Northern Qi were young men, and they had no idea what Xiao En looked like. But from folklore and from the mouths of the older members of the guard station, they knew that the current Northern Qi secret service had been single-handedly built by this pitiful old man, who could not even stand. In other words, this white-haired old man could be considered the founder of their group.
A strange atmosphere pervaded the scene of the handover. The Brocade Guards of Northern Qi didn't know how to treat Xiao En. Should they treat him as a national hero? Or a remnant of the previous dynasty? Was he their ancestor, or was he a serious criminal that they had to watch out for in the future?
After a moment of silence, the emotion that flowed through everyone's blood finally gained the upper hand. On the official road, the Brocade Guards dismounted in unison and half-knelt to the ground. They saluted the old man and said, "Greetings, Master Xiao!"
Following the loud salute, a valiant and familiar power seemed to return to Xiao En's body. He looked at his disciples on the official road and narrowed his eyes. His silver hair danced in the wind. His withered lips parted slightly, but he didn't say anything. He just waved his hand calmly.
It was this wave that made Fan Xian, who was observing from behind, feel a chill in his heart.
Xiao En straightened his body. His iron-like shoulders seemed to have regained the strength to bear the weight of the world.
— — —
On the other side, the maids from Shangjing had long since boarded Si Lili's carriage. No one knew how they had managed to carry so many ornaments and utensils with them, but Si Lili was able to take a fragrant bath in the carriage. After a long time, the carriage door opened, and Si Lili stepped out, stepping on a soft embroidered stool.
Everyone's eyes brightened, but Fan Xian's eyes dimmed for a moment, then returned to normal.
A pair of slender, jade-like hands hung lightly outside the wide, light green sleeves. Her voluptuous curves were perfectly accentuated by her gorgeous clothes. Her black hair was lightly tied up, and she wore a simple ebony fork. Her red lips were a shade of vermillion, and her eyes were bright and clear.
This was Si Lili, the peerless beauty who had easily captured the heart of the Emperor.
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