After she left, Feng Lingbo, who had been pacing back and forth in the room, turned around and called out, "Someone!"
A servant came in and pointed to the secret letter on the desk, "Send it to Niu Youdao!"
"Yes!" The servant took the letter and left.
Niu Youdao temporarily stayed in the guesthouse of the Prefectural Governor's Residence with someone watching over him.
Under the light, Niu Youdao read the secret letter over and over again. Wang Heng? He didn't know who Wang Heng was. He didn't know him and had never heard of him. But judging from the content of the letter, it wasn't hard to guess who wanted to harm him except for the Song family in the capital.
This wasn't much. He had already expected the Song family to seek revenge, so it wasn't strange. What interested him was that Feng Lingbo showed him the secret letter. There were many hidden meanings behind it, including the intention to scare him.
"Song family probably already knows. Looks like Tang Susu didn't manage to fool the Song family. I'm afraid Granny Tang shot herself in the foot!" Niu Youdao passed the secret letter to Yuan Gang.
Yuan Gang read it over and over again, then asked, "Who is Wang Heng?"
Niu Youdao shook his head slightly, "I don't know, but it must be related to the Song family. Someone who can speak to Feng Lingbo in such a tone must have a high status. We should be able to find out who he is by asking around."
Yuan Gang was silent for a while, then suddenly asked, "If the Song family wants to seek revenge on the Shanghai Sect, will it implicate Tang Yi?"
Niu Youdao's eyelids drooped slightly, "Is this important?"
Yuan Gang fell silent and didn't say anything. He put the paper in his hand to the candle and burned it …
The night in the mountains was exceptionally bleak. The white flags on the bamboo poles fluttered gently in the wind. There was a bonfire beside the new graves. Shang Shuqing sat on the ground and played the zither. The sound of the zither was melancholy and sad.
The man had passed away, but the sound of the zither was used to commemorate him.
Shang Chaozong stood at the side with his hands clasped behind his back, gazing at the indistinct shadows under the moonlight. His mind was filled with a myriad of thoughts. Back in the past, the glory of his family was boundless, but in the blink of an eye, they had fallen into such dire straits, living in fear like a stray dog. Those few years in the gloomy prison were unforgettable, sometimes even like a nightmare.
All the sudden changes and misfortunes had already passed. He did not resent anyone. If he wanted to resent someone, he would only resent his own incompetence. More than that, he was at a loss. He was at a loss about the uncertain future.
The younger sister in front of him who was playing the zither was extremely intelligent, gentle, virtuous, and well-educated. She was proficient in the four arts of zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting. However, she was forced to be strong and brave by life. She used to be a young lady from a prestigious family, always holding books and treasures in her hands, but now she had a sword hanging on her waist, drifting about on horseback with a group of men, not fearing hardships and never complaining. Instead, she often comforted and encouraged her brother. Disregarding the freckles on her face, no matter how one looked at it, his sister should have been a good woman that was hard to find in this world. However, because of his incompetence as her brother, he was unable to shoulder the heavy burden and wasted his life. He had let down the spirits of his parents in heaven.
Then, he looked at the guards in the surrounding forest who were on guard for him. They were all veterans of the battlefield. Even if they could not see the future and light, they still abandoned their families to follow him, following him to pursue the unknown future. He knew that this was all thanks to his father's legacy. However, this made him feel even more uneasy. He was afraid that he would let these people down. He did not know where he could lead them. He could only keep telling himself to move forward, move forward!
However, the future was uncertain. Following Niu Youdao's instructions and putting on an act here did not make him feel at ease. It was really Niu Youdao's specious behavior that made him feel uncertain.
The night was long. Looking at the night sky, every night, his heart was filled with anticipation for the arrival of dawn …
The night passed and the first rays of dawn bloomed. In the simple thatched hut next to the grave, Shang Chaozong was dozing off with his clothes on. A series of hurried footsteps could be heard, causing him to suddenly wake up. He subconsciously reached out to grab the saber beside him. When he looked up, he saw that it was one of his own.
One of the guards cupped his hands and reported, "Prince, there are a few people outside the temple. They said they are from the Governor's Residence of Guangyi County. They said they were invited by the Master."
Invited by Niu Youdao? Shang Chaozong's spirit was lifted. Previously, Niu Youdao had asked them to delay for a few more days. He did not expect that there would be news in just one day.
He suddenly stood up. Unfortunately, one of his legs was numb from sitting for too long. He could not stand stably. He repeatedly stomped his feet to clear his meridians before striding out.
In a short while, Shang Chaozong, Lan Ruoting, and Shang Shuqing led a group of people up the mountain.
The reason why they all stayed at the foot of the mountain by the grave was because they followed Niu Youdao's instructions to pretend to mourn for the dead. But following Niu Youdao's instructions was purely a last-ditch effort.
Shou Nian led four people to wait outside the Nanshan Temple. When he saw Shang Chaozong and the rest coming up the mountain, he was puzzled. What was the meaning of staying in the forest instead of a house?
Shang Shuqing was a woman and often stayed in her own room in her early years. He did not know Shou Nian. Shang Chaozong and Lan Ruoting looked at each other. The two of them knew Shou Nian. When King Ning was still alive, he commanded the Yan army. Every year, Guangyi County would send people to deliver gifts. The person who represented Feng Lingbo the most was the housekeeper of the Feng family, Shou Nian.
The two of them were a little surprised. It was actually Feng Lingbo's housekeeper who came personally.
Seeing the person, Shou Nian smiled and cupped his hands. "This old servant greets the Prince and Mister Lan. This must be the princess. This old servant greets you."
Shang Shuqing cupped his hands and returned the greeting. Shang Chaozong and Lan Ruoting cupped their fists. Lan Ruoting put down his hands and smiled. "Brother Shou, long time no see. You are still as elegant as before."
Shou Nian bowed and smiled warmly. "Mister Lan overpraises me."
Lan Ruoting said, "Brother Shou was invited by Niu Youdao?"
Shou Nian nodded. "I was ordered to protect the Prince …" Saying this, he had some doubts. "Could it be that Niu Youdao was not sent by the Prince to meet the Governor?"
"Eh … yes, yes. May I know where Niu Youdao is now?" Lan Ruoting chuckled and nodded. He was a little vague. Niu Youdao's way of doing things really made people feel helpless. He didn't explain anything clearly. They didn't know what Niu Youdao discussed with Feng Lingbo, how they discussed it, and what the outcome was. They were afraid that they would say something wrong and ruin things.
They found it hard to believe that Feng Lingbo would lend troops to Shang Chaozong. But looking at Shou Nian's attitude, it seemed like it was really done. Was it possible? Did Feng Lingbo really dare to interfere in this matter? The strange thing was that Niu Youdao actually didn't return. He didn't even send someone who knew what was going on. It made it hard for them to ask even if they wanted to.
"Niu Youdao is temporarily resting in the Governor's Residence, waiting respectfully for the Prince. Prince, I'm afraid it's dangerous in this desolate wilderness. It's not advisable to stay for long. Please follow this old servant back to the prefecture capital. The Governor's troops are already on their way. You will definitely meet them on the way. "Shou Nian made an inviting gesture.
They were in a difficult position. They didn't know if they should leave or not. Lan Ruoting pondered for a while. Just as he was about to probe further, someone suddenly ran up from the foot of the mountain. It was the personal guard that Niu Youdao sent back to pass on the message. Lan Ruoting and the rest were invigorated when they saw him.
After asking Shou Nian to wait for a while, he pulled the travel-worn personal guard to the side. Lan Ruoting couldn't wait to ask, "Is there any news from the Venerable One?"
The personal guard nodded repeatedly, "The Venerable One said that the matter is in the bag. He asked the Prince and the rest to return with the people from Guangyi Prefecture. It's temporarily inconvenient for him to come over. He will wait respectfully for the Prince's arrival in the prefecture capital!"
Ninety percent sure? The three of them were excited when they heard this. They really managed to borrow troops? It was really unbelievable. Oh my god, they really didn't know how Niu Youdao did it!
Shang Shuqing's bright eyes lit up under the veil. Shang Chaozong excitedly clapped his fists together as if he had seen a ray of light in the dark.
Lan Ruoting was extremely excited and asked with concern, "How is the Venerable One? Did anything happen?"
The personal guard replied, "He is well. The marriage proposal went smoothly!"
"Uh …" Lan Ruoting was stunned. He blinked his eyes and thought that he had misheard.
"Marriage proposal?" Shang Chaozong was suspicious, "What marriage proposal?"
Shang Shuqing's expression under the veil was also astonished. Was he talking about marriage proposal?
"Isn't the Prince going to marry the daughter of the Governor of Guangyi Prefecture?" The personal guard asked dumbfoundedly. He thought that Niu Youdao's actions were arranged by the Prince. But looking at the Prince and the others' reactions, it didn't seem like it.
Shang Chaozong pointed at himself and asked in disbelief, "This Prince is going to marry Feng Lingbo's daughter?"
The personal guard nodded dumbfoundedly. His eyes seemed to be asking if it wasn't the case?
Shang Chaozong asked again, "Venerable One said that?"
Personal guard, "Venerable One has already done so. The betrothal gifts have already been sent to the Feng Clan. He also publicly announced that the Prince is going to marry Feng Lingbo's daughter."
Shang Shuqing and Lan Ruoting looked at each other in dismay. Why did they feel that this matter was a little messy?
Shang Chaozong couldn't believe it and confirmed once again, "I'm going to marry Feng Lingbo's daughter? Which daughter of Feng Lingbo's? "
The personal guard realized that this was a huge problem. He asked in bewilderment, "Prince, could it be that Feng Lingbo has a few more daughters? Of course … of course … "He recalled the scene when they were guarding the betrothal gifts outside the Governor's Residence. Feng Ruonan stormed in angrily. When they saw Feng Ruonan's appearance with their own eyes, they even sighed at the Prince.
"Feng Ruonan? I'm going to marry Feng Ruonan? "Shang Chaozong's eyes widened. How did borrowing troops become marrying Feng Ruonan? He said in a daze, "How is this possible? Is this what you're referring to when you say that great things are within our grasp? "
"…" The personal guard was speechless. He slowly nodded his head, indicating that it was.
Shang Shuqing and Lan Ruoting were also a little confused. Marrying Feng Ruonan? Why did this matter feel even more unreliable than borrowing troops from Feng Lingbo? How could Feng Lingbo marry his own daughter, one of the main generals of Guangyi Prefecture, to Shang Chaozong?
Lan Ruoting pointed at the personal guard and said, "What exactly happened? Hurry up and tell me everything that happened in detail. "
"After we arrived at Guangyi Prefecture, we stayed at an inn. Master immediately ordered us to find out where Feng Lingbo and Feng Ruonan were …" The personal guard narrated the situation in Guangyi Prefecture in detail. How they found out the news, how Niu Youdao went to the army camp, how he got a chest of gold coins from the army camp, how he purchased the betrothal gifts without restraint, how he delivered them to the Governor's Residence, how Yuan Gang announced the good news in front of everyone, how Yuan Gang and Niu Youdao entered the Governor's Residence, and how they passed the news to the outside world.
The three of them were completely speechless. How was this borrowing troops? From the way they acted after arriving at the prefecture capital, it was obvious that they were going to propose marriage.
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