RPAGF Chapter 119 Encounter with Chen Shi
Chapter 119 Encounter with Chen Shi
Li Changyu's expression was grave, secretly marveling at the girl's keen intuition. Shi Wanxia sensed something was off about his face based solely on her intuition, but this was ultimately just a guess and shouldn't be taken seriously.
He hesitated for a moment, then said, "Miss Shi, you're overthinking it. By the way, my third uncle just wrote to say that he's found Shen Yanchu and the others in Jizhou City. We're at least ten days' journey from them. Should we continue north?"
Shi Wanxia was taken aback; they had indeed gotten themselves into considerable trouble. For now, the only option was to avoid direct confrontation. The government of this era was vastly different from that of later generations; a direct confrontation was not advisable.
After a moment's thought, she said firmly, "Brother Li, let's head north! That's the only way. Even if we don't keep our promise to escort them back to the capital, we have to leave this place of trouble for now."
"How can I live with people chasing me every day? My thoughts are simple: a small yard, some fruits and vegetables, a cat and a dog—a simple life is the true essence of life, and that's what suits an ordinary person like me. I'm different from you three; your identities are clearly not simple, and I have no intention of getting involved."
The world is constantly changing, and to her, it doesn't matter who is emperor, since it's not her who will be. Besides, survival in this world is already difficult enough, let alone for a woman. Li Changyu remained silent, lost in thought.
He had thought about the kind of life she described before, but he carried too much on his shoulders and couldn't be as carefree as she was.
Neither of them discussed it further; one was working out the route, while the other leaned against the carriage wall. Shi Wanxia felt she should inform Shen Yanchu and the others, since Li Changyu's men had already tracked them down.
“Brother Li, have your men try to contact Shen Yanchu and the others. If possible, have them wait for us in Jizhou City. Although their identities will bring many uncertain dangers, our group isn’t much better off.” Li Changyu nodded and instructed Xing Ce to contact his third uncle.
At this time in Jizhou City, Shen Yanchu and his companions were relying on Miss Wang to purchase dry food, water, medicine, clothing, and bedding. Miss Wang also instructed her men to buy two more carriages.
They planned to set off after Xiao Yiyun's matter was resolved, but Xiao Yiyun was very tight-lipped and wouldn't listen to reason. Cui Yu'an was plagued by headaches; three groups of people had attempted to assassinate them in the past two days.
"Zhizhou, tell me. Who exactly are the people behind this? We can't seem to kill them all!"
Cui Yu'an frowned, his face showing exhaustion. Shen Yanchu was about to reply when Wang Fu came to report that Li Changyu's old servant had handed him a letter. He hurriedly handed it to Young Master Shen. After reading the letter, Shen Yanchu's face showed a rare smile. Cui Yu'an also realized that it was probably news of Miss Shi and the others.
"Zhizhou, is this news about Miss Shi and the others? Where are they now?" Cui Yu'an asked anxiously.
Shen Yanchu handed him the letter and said, "Miss Shi and the others are currently far away in Jiangling Prefecture. It will take them about ten days to reach Jizhou City. Since Miss Shi and the others are coming, let's have two more carriages bought. Isn't Miss Wang going to escort a batch of goods to Cangling? That will make up a caravan. My people will be arriving soon, and we have enough manpower, so we don't have to worry about anyone causing trouble again."
Meanwhile, on a school campus in Licheng, Xu Shaoyu brought food to the second young lady, Zheng Muyu. Zheng Muyu glared at him and demanded, "Alliance Leader Xu, what is the meaning of this? Ever since our wedding banquet, you've brought me here and have had me drugged every day. What exactly do you intend to do? Let me go back!"
Xu Shaoyu remained calm and slowly said, "Second Miss, I have no choice but to do this. The situation is complicated right now, and you can only be safe here with me. I will let you go back once things have calmed down."
Zheng Muyu didn't believe him at all. She struggled desperately, trying to escape. But Xu Shaoyu's men were keeping a close watch, and she couldn't escape at all.
On their way to Jeju City, Li Changyu, Shi Wanxia, and their companions encountered numerous troubles. Along the way, small groups of bandits and江湖人士 (jianghu figures) frequently appeared, attempting to rob them of their belongings.
However, Li Changyu and his companions were highly skilled in martial arts and easily repelled these people. Yet, they knew in their hearts that these minor troubles were just the prelude; greater dangers lay ahead.
At a teahouse by the official road, Chen Shi led his men, preparing to return to Licheng. He heard a familiar voice, but after thinking for a long time, he couldn't recall who it was. The group stopped at the teahouse to rest and recuperate.
Meanwhile, Shi Wanxia and the others had rested and were preparing to board the carriage to continue their journey north. However, the gears of fate suddenly turned. Chen Shi inadvertently caught a glimpse of their group and was startled.
It was them, the ones who killed my son, they were here! He immediately slammed his fist on the table and jumped up, shouting angrily, "You audacious fugitives, don't run! Where do you think you can go after killing someone?"
When Shi Wanxia and the others heard the shouts, they turned around and saw the person shouting. They felt that the person looked familiar, but they couldn't remember who it was for a moment.
Qinglan quickly recognized the man and said, "Sister Shi, that's the City Lord of Licheng. Don't you remember? He arrested us in Licheng and tortured us severely!" Upon hearing Qinglan's words, Shi Wanxia immediately remembered who he was. A sense of foreboding washed over her, and she hurriedly said, "Brother Li, let's go!"
But it was too late. The soldiers of Licheng quickly surrounded the convoy. Li Changyu, sword in hand, resolutely stood in front of them and said in a deep voice, "You go into the carriage first. Xing Ce, protect them. We'll see how things go later!"
Chen Shi had no intention of wasting words with them and coldly said, "Enough nonsense. Take him down, dead or alive!" Li Changyu's eyes sharpened, and with a sweep of his sword, he blocked the soldiers outside the carriage. The two sides were on the verge of exploding, and the atmosphere was extremely tense.
Shi Wanxia and the others hid inside the carriage, their hearts filled with anxiety. They knew they were in dire straits. Xing Ce stood guard at the carriage door, vigilantly observing the situation outside.
Li Changyu faced off against the government troops, his mind racing as he considered a countermeasure. Chen Shi, seeing that he couldn't defeat them quickly, grew even more enraged and kept urging his troops to attack. Although the government troops feared Li Changyu's strength, they had no choice but to charge forward under the city lord's orders.
Li Changyu brandished his longsword like a fierce tiger, repelling the attacks of the government troops time and again. However, the number of government troops was large, and they kept pouring in. He gradually felt the strain, but he still held firm, refusing to retreat.
Inside the carriage, Shi Wanxia was frantic with worry. She knew things couldn't go on like this; she had to find a way to break through. She began to observe her surroundings, searching for a possible opening. Suddenly, she discovered a relatively weak spot, where there were fewer soldiers.
Shi Wanxia whispered to Qinglan and the others, "If we rush out in that direction later, we might have a chance to survive." Everyone nodded in agreement.
Li Changyu fought valiantly against the soldiers' attack from the outside, buying time for those inside the carriage. He spotted the direction Shi Wanxia and her group were preparing to break out and deliberately led the soldiers to the other side, creating an opportunity for them.
Finally, the time was ripe. Shi Wanxia shouted, "Charge!" The group drove the carriage out of the encirclement and rushed towards the weakest point. Xing Ce protected them closely, and a fierce battle ensued with the government troops.
Li Changyu also saw their actions and attacked the government troops even more desperately, providing cover for them. Through their joint efforts, they finally succeeded in breaking through the government troops' encirclement.
However, they were not entirely out of danger. Chen Shi and his troops were hot on their heels. Li Changyu and the others could only flee while searching for a safe place.