After hiding the pill, Fan Xian twitched his nose. For some reason, his brain began to feel excited, and the powerful zhenqi in his body began to circulate rapidly along his wide meridians. It was as if every pore on his body had opened up, greedily absorbing the yuanqi that might or might not have existed between heaven and earth.
The faint smell of ephedra excited Fan Xian.
From the table, he took down the Tiger Guard long knife, which had been modified beyond recognition. He weighed its weight in his hand and carefully used a cloth belt to tie the knife to his back, maintaining the most convenient angle for him to draw the knife. As for the slender black dagger on his leg, it seemed to have become a part of him over the years, and he did not need to pay special attention to it.
With a creak, the door was pushed open. Wang Qinian walked in, bowed to Fan Xian, and whispered something in his ear. Fan Xian nodded and glanced at the remaining chores on the table, indicating for him to start.
Wang Qinian smiled awkwardly. "My skills are much worse than yours, sir."
Fan Xian scolded him. "You have never seen me with makeup on. How do you know your skills are worse than mine? You were a wanted thief in many countries back in the day. Did you not know how to disguise yourself? "
"Wasn't the person sitting next to you personally dressed up?" Wang Qinian lightly flattered him. "Heh, that skill. Others may not know, but in my eyes, you are an immortal from heaven."
"You're talking nonsense." Fan Xian sat down on a stool and smiled. "Which of the clay statues in the temples next to the capital could be prettier than me?"
One was thick-skinned, and the other was thick-skinned. The two of them made up a few words, effectively dispelling the last bit of nervousness in Fan Xian's heart. Wang Qinian was his closest subordinate. Apart from following him outside Cangzhou and being responsible for intelligence, he had not played an important role. Fortunately, he had the skill to play the supporting role, which made things easier for Fan Xian.
Wang Qinian picked up the knife and scraped at Fan Xian's eyebrows. He then took a handful of wet ash from the table and began to apply it to Fan Xian's face. He felt that the stickiness and color were still somewhat different from the commissioner's facial skin. He couldn't help but frown. "Stick flour is still better."
Fan Xian sighed and said, "Where can I find them? I did sneak into an official's house to get some make-up powder and rouge, and the effect was pretty good. "
— —
In a large mansion in the south of the city, torches were held high in the extremely spacious courtyard. A dozen or so black-clothed men covered from head to toe were silently waiting. On the other side of the courtyard, a middle-aged man was sitting on an armchair with his eyes closed, deep in thought. His right hand was gently stroking the glossy black armrest of the armchair. His feet seemed casual, but in reality, they were as solemn as a mountain as he stepped on the bluestone bricks.
This was General Shang Shanhu, who had resisted the barbarians to the north of the Kingdom of Qi for seven years. He was one of the most famous generals in the world, and the most powerful and prestigious in the Northern Qi military.
After a long while, Shang Shanhu slowly opened his tiger-like eyes. Two frightening cold lights stared at the man kneeling in front of him. "Since the palace has not given me a way out," he said quietly. "I will not sit and wait for death. You must be careful. Although those people in the south want to do me a favor, who knows what they are really thinking."
His voice was not loud, but it was deep and resounding, like the ringing of a bell. One could imagine the powerful internal energy of this famous general.
The man kneeling in front of him was Tan Wu, who had been living his days in Shangjing. He was the fierce general who had been subdued by Gao Da in one move in front of the diplomatic mission. He cupped his fists and said, "General, the southerners are cunning. You must be careful."
"I know what I am doing," said Shang Shanhu. Today was the last time he had entered the palace. The young Emperor still had not given him a definite answer. The empress dowager had insisted on imprisoning Xiao En, and Shang Shanhu was worried about his adopted father's safety. That was why he had been forced to do something that violated the laws of heaven.
"As expected, the descendants of the Zhan family will not let go of any opportunity." Shang Shanhu smiled bitterly. If it were not for the fact that his adopted father knew the secret, the young Emperor would certainly have done him a favor. But although the young Emperor was a bit feminine, he still retained the heroic spirit that Zhan Qingfeng had left behind. He would not let go of a chance to increase the strength of the country in a short period of time, or even to conquer the south.
So it was impossible for his adopted father Xiao En to leave that prison alive. Thinking of his adopted father's decades of misery, this general who had been summoned back to Shangjing felt sad.
"Go." He gently waved his hand and returned to the rear courtyard. His wife was in a hurry to prepare a gift for the empress dowager's birthday in a few days.
"Yes." Tan Wu half-knelt on the ground and left.
— — — —
In a residential area outside the Chongwu Gate of Shangjing, there was an inconspicuous little yard. Narrow alleys crisscrossed this residential area. Even an old Shangjing resident would be in danger of getting lost. A few dozen feet away from the courtyard, there were some trees that were commonly seen in the north. The trees were as straight as swords, and their white bark was very obvious in the dark. Fortunately, it was already summer, and there had been plenty of rain this year, so the leaves were especially lush.
Fan Xian carefully adjusted his zhenqi, valiantly controlling the pulse of his heart. He allowed his body, shrouded in black, to blend in with the surrounding environment to ensure that no one would discover him. His gaze pierced through the palm-sized leaves, looking down at the house to his right. He calmly waited for Shang Shanhu to begin his rescue of Xiao En.
Xiao En was locked up in that small courtyard. This was the information that the Fourth Bureau of the Overwatch Council had expended a great deal of effort to find out. But tonight, only Shang Shanhu's men had made their move. Yan Bingyun's children had already returned to the darkness. It was unknown whether or not Xinyang would send any aces to help.
To rescue a prisoner in Shangjing was a violation of the laws of heaven. Regardless of whether or not he succeeded, the relationship between the royal family of Northern Qi and the military was on the verge of breaking. Thinking of this, Fan Xian, who was lying on the branch like a koala, couldn't help but feel great admiration for a certain noble in the south.
Although the Eldest Princess was a crazy woman, she was indeed a very powerful crazy woman. From the day she turned around and sold out Yan Bingyun, it seemed that she had calculated all the changes that followed. No matter how they changed, the Qing court would receive great benefits. This woman was truly not simple.
…
…
The night gradually deepened, and the courtyard under the tall tree was still quiet. In the distance, a baby was crying by the riverside. Nearby, an old horse was weakly chewing on hay. The stars in the sky were hidden behind the clouds. The leaves beside them ruffled in the night wind. This night seemed to be the same as every other night in Shangjing. There was nothing out of the ordinary.
Without warning, Fan Xian, who was lying on the branch, opened his eyes and looked down at the courtyard.
The prison break had begun!
A carriage slowly drove up to the door of the small courtyard. At the same time, a small cart covered in gray cloth was quietly pushed up to the back wall of the courtyard. The defenses in the little courtyard did not seem to notice anything strange. Fan Xian, who was looking down on the world from high up in the tree, saw all of these actions clearly.
A middle-aged man stepped out of the carriage. At the same time, Fan Xian noticed that a few black shadows had already disappeared around the courtyard.
"Who is it?" The Brocade Guard responsible for guarding Xiao En was extremely vigilant. Half of his body peeked out from the wall. In his hand was a heavy crossbow, aimed at the middle-aged man standing at the door of the courtyard.
The middle-aged man was Tan Wu, whom Fan Xian had met once before. He smiled and opened his mouth to speak. Suddenly, two black lights flashed, and two deadly crossbow bolts, one on the left and one on the right, ruthlessly pierced through the throat of the Brocade Guard. Blood splattered!
The Brocade Guard's neck looked as if it had two iron rods attached to it. It looked incomparably bloody!
…
…
"Attack!" Tan Wu gave the order in a quiet voice. What responded to him was a loud noise. A brawny man stepped out of the carriage. He was about eight feet tall and held a large iron hammer in his hand. He strode to the door of the courtyard. The muscles in his right arm flexed, and he smashed down on the door of the courtyard. Looking at the power of his attack, the wooden door of the courtyard would immediately shatter into countless splinters of wood.
There was a loud clang, deafening everyone present.
Indeed, many splinters of wood flew everywhere, but the door … did not break! Inside the wooden door, there was a layer of steel plate! High up in the tree, Fan Xian shivered. The place where the Northern Qi Brocade Guard imprisoned criminals was not as simple as it seemed.
In an instant, the Brocade Guard in the courtyard had already reacted. They began to concentrate their men at the entrance of the courtyard. As the brawny man smashed down with his hammer, even the steel plate door began to creak and tremble. It seemed as if it could not withstand another few blows!
A series of battle cries rang out, and a dozen or so black-clothed men climbed up the wall, clashing with the Embroidered Uniform Guards inside. These black-clothed men's martial arts cultivation was not ordinary, but the most powerful thing about them was the murderous intent contained within their moves. Every move they made was accompanied by the power of wind and thunder, as if they were ready to risk their lives. These Brocade Guards, who had been guarding the bustling city of Shangjing for many years, were no match for these soldiers. Fresh blood covered the night, and they were quickly defeated.
Fan Xian watched all of this coldly from the tree. He knew that Shang Shanhu's men were breaking down the door because Xiao En's legs had been crippled. He could not walk. He watched the brawny man smash the steel door like a laborer, and couldn't help but think to himself, "Smash the wall." He seemed to have forgotten that it was he who had ordered Xiao En's legs to be smashed.
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