newbobooks Chapter 124: Wouldn’t it be great to make a big deal?
Chapter 124: Wouldn’t it be great to make a big deal?
Upon hearing this, Shen Qingge nodded and said softly:
"Well, that's true. However, being able to open the box is already great. At least, we are sure that the box contains the treasure map that Xiao Mo wants!
As for when the mystery of the blueprint can be solved and the treasure found, it all depends on chance."
"Then quickly put the map away and don't lose it." Xiao Heng kindly reminded him, then asked:
"So, your plan now is to destroy the flesh trade in Jiangdu, right?"
"Well, that's indeed what I planned. I wonder what Your Highness thinks?
Are you willing to cooperate with me?"
Upon hearing this, Xiao Heng nodded slightly, as if in agreement, and then said:
"Based on our itinerary, we will be able to reach Jiangdu in three to five days.
However, the territory of Jiangdu County is not small, and the distribution of secret villages there must be complicated. It is not easy to fully grasp the specific situation in a short period of time.
How about this? Tomorrow I will dispatch Cangyu with a small team of elite soldiers to Jiangdu to gather intelligence in secret."
"That's great, then I'll trouble you, Your Majesty.
If I have the opportunity, I will do my best to gather some useful information."
After they finished speaking, they both fell into silence. It seemed like each of them had a lot to say, but they were hesitant and didn't know how to start.
Shen Qingge opened her lips slightly several times, and after wanting to say something but stopping herself several times, she finally failed to ask the prince for help, asking him to send someone to help find her father and brother.
Now that the late emperor has passed away and the prince is so sad, she feels embarrassed to cause trouble to the prince at this critical moment.
On the other side, Xiao Heng was also extremely conflicted.
He really wanted to take this opportunity to ask Shen Qingge about the "absorption technique", but he was afraid that mentioning it rashly might cause unnecessary misunderstandings and troubles, so he could only swallow the words back into his stomach.
In this way, the two of them remained deadlocked for a long time, and the atmosphere became increasingly awkward.
Finally, Shen Qingge chuckled twice and said:
"Um... Your Majesty, I see that you don't have anything else important to do.
You have been busy and tired for days, so you should rest early and recuperate. I will take my leave now."
After saying that, she bowed and stood up to leave.
Seeing this, Xiao Heng's face also showed a trace of subtle embarrassment. He nodded slightly and replied:
"Very well, you may go now. We must continue our journey tomorrow. Once we reach Jiangdu, I will order everyone to stay for a day or two."
Then, you can choose a simple carriage for your fifth sister-in-law."
As Shen Qingge's figure disappeared from sight, this conversation filled with a subtle atmosphere finally came to an end.
……
The next morning, the faint morning light illuminated the earth.
At this time, the entire team was still immersed in a quiet rest, but Cangyu had already led a team of elite troops and quietly set off, with the sound of horse hooves galloping towards Jiangdu.
Their mission this time was to try their best to find out the hidden network of secret villages in Jiangdu before the main force arrived in Jiangdu County.
An hour after Cangyu and his group set off, the rest of the team also started their journey.
They continued to maintain a steady pace of about 40 miles a day, advancing southward.
Time passed quickly, and after three days of arduous journey, the official road in front of us gradually became narrower, and finally merged directly into a vast mountain forest like a winding snake.
This forest is unusually mysterious. The fog is as thick as a veil, covering the road ahead completely and making it difficult to see where it leads.
There was silence all around, even the chirping of birds and animals was almost inaudible. This feeling of silence made people feel creepy.
Generally, such places are usually the best places to set up ambushes.
The alert Xiao Heng immediately signaled the guards to draw the sharp blades at their waists, and focused his attention on observing the movements in the woods on both sides of the road.
The exiled officials, led by Li Tian, also became more vigilant.
The entire team's pace slowed down significantly, and everyone took every step very carefully.
The convicts were even more frightened by this atmosphere. They huddled together, not daring to breathe, and followed the officers closely.
Shen Qingge held her little niece Shen Rong in one hand and her nephew Shen Jintang in the other, and walked slowly in the middle of the team.
The children were all very scared. Jintang grabbed the corner of her clothes tightly, while Rong'er struggled to get into her arms, muttering non-stop:
"Aunt, Rong'er is scared!"
In order to prevent them from being scared, Shen Qingge simply took out some candy from his pocket and gave it to the children, humming a cheerful little song to distract the children's attention.
After finally coaxing the children into not being so scared, Shen Qingge froze.
She handed Rong'er back to her second sister-in-law Ye Yuruo, grabbed a handful of malt candy and gave it to the children. After whispering a few words of advice, she ran to the front of the team.
In order not to overstep her bounds, she first ran to the official Li Tian and said in a low voice:
"Master Li, please go and tell the prince that the team can't go any further!"
When Li Tian heard this, a look of shock instantly appeared on his face, and a trace of panic involuntarily flashed through his heart.
He was well aware of the treacherous and unpredictable environment here, and the possibility of an ambush, so he had been on guard all the way. But now that he had actually encountered one, his heart couldn't help but start beating fast.
The main reason is that they now have very few people, and the weapons they have are extremely simple.
Apart from a few long swords and whips, there were not even many decent bows and arrows.
If they were really ambushed, what would they use to fight back?
The number of guards on the prince's side is quite large. How can we take care of them in the chaos?
However, he now has more and more confidence in Shen Qingge's abilities.
The fact that she came all the way here to persuade the team to stop meant that they had probably encountered an ambush, and it was definitely not just a few bandits from the mountains.
So, with a heart full of trepidation, he asked tremblingly, "What is ahead?"
Shen Qingge quickly responded, "I just vaguely heard bandits ahead, and judging by the sound, there are probably quite a few of them!"
However, Li Tian still had a glimmer of hope in his heart:
"No way! The ones ahead of us are the prince's vassalage team.
Who would be so bold as to ambush here and steal the royal property?
Aren’t they afraid of losing their heads?”
In response to this, Shen Qingge smiled faintly and replied:
"Sir, who can say for sure? Those people are desperate criminals. To them, it doesn't matter who they rob, as long as they can get something for themselves.
Wouldn't it be great if we could do a big deal?"