newbobooks Chapter 463 Jin Hao gambles his life, the Hu family flees Tianqi in the night! (2)
Chapter 463 Jin Hao gambles his life, the Hu family flees Tianqi in the night! (2)
The Hu Mansion is located in Qingpingfang in the east of the city. It has three courtyards, vermilion gates and gray walls, and two stone lions in front of the gates that are quite old.
At this moment, the mansion gates were tightly closed.
Baili Dongjun stepped forward and knocked on the door.
After a long while, the door opened a crack, and an old servant poked his head out: "Who is the young master looking for?"
"Gu Yuebai, come and take possession of the house." Baili Dongjun showed the land deed.
The old servant's face changed drastically, and he hurriedly ran inside to report.
A moment later, in the central hall.
Madam Hu Lin, the matriarch of the Hu family, sat in the main seat. She was over seventy years old, with gray hair and a haggard face, but her eyes were still sharp.
Several daughters-in-law and grandchildren stood beside him, all with worried expressions.
Baili Dongjun stepped into the main hall, cupped his hands and said, "Gu Yuebai greets Madam Hu."
Madam Hu looked at the land deed in his hand, her voice trembling slightly: "Young Master Gu... did you really win this land deed from Young Master Mo Xiaohei?"
“Yes.” Baili Dongjun nodded. “The bet was fair, and Young Master Liu Yue accepted his loss. This house now belongs to me. According to the rules, the Hu family must move out of the ancestral home within three days.”
A mournful sound filled the hall.
Several young women wept softly, while the children looked bewildered.
Madam Hu closed her eyes for a long time before slowly saying, "I understand. Within three days, all thirty-six members of the Hu family will definitely move out."
“The old lady is reasonable.” Baili Dongjun paused. “However, I am new to Tianqi and have no place to stay yet.”
"Regarding this house... I, Gu, would like to invite the Hu family to stay temporarily for a few days. Once I have found a new house, the handover will take place."
Hu Linshi was taken aback, a look of doubt flashing in her eyes.
Baili Dongjun took a few steps closer and lowered his voice: "Madam, may I speak to you in private?"
The two moved into a side hall.
Baili Dongjun closed the door, raised his hand and wiped his face—the illusion faded, revealing his true appearance.
"You are..." Hu Linshi asked in surprise and doubt.
"I am Baili Dongjun, grandson of Marquis Zhenxi, Baili Luochen, and son of Baili Chengfeng, heir apparent of Qiandong City." Baili Dongjun bowed respectfully.
"I have come to assist the Hu family on my father's orders."
Madam Hu Lin trembled, tears streaming down her face: "The Baili family... the Baili family still remembers the Hu family..."
"The Hu family and my Baili family have been friends for generations. Back then, Hu Chengda, a student, repeatedly spoke up for my grandfather, and the Baili family will never forget that." Baili Dongjun helped her up.
"Grandma, to make a long story short, the betting was a scheme to allow the Hu family to leave Tianqi legitimately."
Tonight, I will arrange carriages and horses to send the Hu family of thirty-six to Snow Moon City.
Hu Linshi wiped away her tears and said, "I understand... but the Hu family has thirty-six members, including women, children, and the elderly. How can they all leave?"
"Don't worry, I'll take care of everything," Baili Dongjun said. "The old lady only needs to give the order that the ancestral home has been lost to outsiders and the Hu family will move to a manor outside the city for temporary residence. Leave the rest to me."
"Alright...alright!" Madam Hu nodded emphatically. "I'll go and make the arrangements right away."
"Wait a minute." Baili Dongjun's eyes turned cold. "Madam, is there a traitor within the Hu household?"
Hu Linshi's face turned pale: "You mean..."
"Lord Hu Bufei was imprisoned, one of the charges being treason. That 'old letter' was found during a search of the Hu residence." Baili Dongjun stared at her. "If it weren't for an inside job, how could such an old item be found so easily?"
After a long silence, Hu Linshi said in a trembling voice, "It is...it is the old steward, Hu Fu."
His whereabouts have been strange these past few days, and I'm suspicious, but I dare not say anything... His grandson was taken away by the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs a few days ago and hasn't returned yet..."
Baili Dongjun understood: "I understand. Just give the instructions for moving, Madam. I'll handle Hu Fu's side."
The two returned to the main hall.
Madam Hu straightened her back and said loudly, "Listen up, everyone! Since the ancestral home has been lost to Young Master Gu, the Hu family can no longer live here. Pack your belongings today, and move to the estate outside the city first thing tomorrow morning!"
Everyone was shocked, but no one dared to refute it.
Baili Dongjun bowed and took his leave. When he left the Hu residence, it was already close to dusk.
Luo Nianse whispered, "Lord City Master, what about Hu Fu..."
“Keep an eye on him.” Baili Dongjun’s eyes were icy. “If he makes any unusual moves tonight… you know what to do.”
"Yes!"
Night falls.
The Hu residence was brightly lit, and servants were busy tidying up.
The courtyard was piled high with trunks and baskets, the women sobbed softly, and the children stared blankly at everything.
The old butler, Hu Fu, stood under the eaves, watching all this with a complex expression in his eyes.
He quietly retreated to the woodshed in the backyard and took out a carrier pigeon from his pocket.
Just as he was about to take flight, a hand reached out from the darkness and grabbed his throat.
"Steward Hu, is it really necessary to deliver a letter so late?"
Luo Nianse's voice rang in my ears.
Hu Fu froze, and the carrier pigeon fluttered to the ground.
"I...I..." He tried to explain, but no sound came out.
Luo Nianse dragged him into the woodshed and closed the door.
A moment later, the door to the woodshed opened.
Luo Nianse walked out, dusted off her hands, and said in a low voice, "It's been taken care of."
Baili Dongjun, standing in the shadows, nodded: "Is the carriage and horses ready?"
"It's all ready," Luo Fengzhong said. "Twenty carriages and forty fast horses are waiting at Shili Pavilion outside the city."
We'll depart through the back door at midnight tonight.
"Alright." Baili Dongjun looked towards the Hu residence. "Tell the old lady that we will set off immediately at midnight."
The night is getting darker.
At midnight, the back gate of the Hu residence quietly opened.
Thirty-six people, young and old, quietly boarded the carriage.
The crates had already been loaded onto the vehicle, carrying only valuables and nothing else.
Hu Linshi took one last look at the ancestral home, tears welling in her eyes, but she gritted her teeth, turned around, and boarded the carriage.
"go!"
Baili Dongjun mounted his horse, with the Luo brothers guarding him from the front and back.
The convoy slowly drove out of the alley and disappeared into the night.
Shortly after the convoy left, a group of men in black quietly appeared in front of the Hu residence.
The leader was a middle-aged eunuch with a fair complexion and no beard, who was Jin Xuan's confidant.
He pushed open the door and found the mansion empty, with chests and trunks scattered about, but no valuables inside.
"Escaped?" The eunuch's face darkened. "Search!"
His men searched the area and quickly reported back: "Sir, there is no one in the mansion, but there are wheel tracks at the back gate, so they must have just left."
The eunuch's eyes turned sinister: "Chase them! All thirty-six members of the Hu family, not one can be missing!"
"Yes!"
The man in black immediately mounted his horse and followed the cart tracks.
Meanwhile, the convoy carrying the Hu family members had already traveled ten miles out of the city and was speeding along the official road.
The night wind howled, and the carriage jolted.
Madam Hu lifted the carriage curtain, looked back in the direction of Tianqi City, and murmured:
"My son, don't fly away... I'm leaving first. You must... come out alive..."
Baili Dongjun watched the convoy depart and said to the Luo family brothers beside him:
"Now we can go all out and rescue Hu Bufei!"
……