Raiders of the Duke and Duchess

It was night, the moonlight was clear, the clouds were sparse, and the bright and dying stars flickered on the dark curtain.

It should be a sunny day tomorrow.

The Ji family is always extremely quiet after nightfall. It is located in the suburbs, and the noise in the busy city cannot be heard here. It was winter, and many birds had migrated south, so this place became increasingly quiet.

Bai Xue ducked and walked cautiously toward the tower, avoiding the patrol.

Who would have thought that a merchant's home would have guards patrolling it after nightfall - this was something Bai Xue discovered only after she came to Ji's house. Ordinary official homes only spent money to buy a few followers or thugs, but this Ji's family He actually had so many guards, and they all said that Jiangnan was rich, and then Bai Xue really believed it.

The masters of the Ji family rest early. It is said that Master Shangguan has a very regular schedule and must go to bed at midnight. Anyone who interferes with his rest after this time will probably lose money to eliminate the disaster. Therefore, the guards will avoid that yard when patrolling. ——This is even more strange. Patrolling and guarding at night is to ensure the safety of the masters. What does it mean to avoid the important and take the light now?
Thinking like this, Bai Xue paused suddenly and turned her head to look in the direction of Shangguan Chu's courtyard. From where she was, she couldn't actually see the courtyard, but before that, she had passed by there countless times. , I have also seen that man who looks too beautiful countless times. No matter how many times I have seen him, he is still as heart-pounding as the last time.

She lowered her head and tugged at her washed old clothes, which had turned white, and swallowed nervously. Under the clear moonlight, her red ears could be clearly seen. It was unclear whether they were red from the cold or from shame.

She stood there for a while longer, counting the seconds when the guards patrolled by, and continued walking towards the tower - it took her many nights to figure out how the guards patrolled, and which route they took. She already knows what intersection she will pass at any time. Of course, she was spotted many times in those days, but it was not unexplainable for the maid in the mansion to walk quickly in the mansion late at night. She had many reasons to deal with it.

For example, Miss Shen came back late and hadn't eaten yet, so she went to the dining room to find something to eat. Another example is that Miss Shen asked Mr. Chen to get some medicinal materials.

And so on.

In fact, because of these interactions, I became familiar with the guards, and when they bumped into each other again, they no longer questioned me coldly, but greeted them kindly, "Is Miss Shen back late again? "

It's just that you can't bump into him today. Otherwise, if someone discovers that the tower has been broken into, they will be able to guess that it is him after a little questioning. Bai Xue gathered her skirt, found a boulder in the grass, and squatted down slowly. She heard footsteps. These guards were about to come from the path on the right. After they passed, she could walk along the path on the right. There is a small path to the tower, which is the safest way.

The footsteps were getting closer and closer. Bai Xue, who was squatting in the grass, subconsciously held back his breath and counted down silently in his heart... However, the footsteps were not closer, or even farther away...

She looked up suddenly, and there was nothing in her sight, no one.

The footsteps were farther away - they did not go through the road in front of them.

After observing these days, Bai Xue is very convinced that the patrol routes of these guards at night are fixed. Not only the routes are fixed, but the time is also fixed. She has been observing them openly or covertly for so long, and there has never been an accident. Unfortunately, something unexpected happened tonight.

It was a three-way intersection. If the guards did not pass by this road, they might have gone to another intersection, or they might have gone back for some reason. No matter which case it is, it indicates that something has happened. Variety.

Maybe Ji Wuyan had become suspicious of him, so he changed the patrol route of the guards. Maybe it's because something happened over there in the tower...

She should turn around and walk back as if she had never left the house tonight. But the master sent people to urge him again and again. If no useful news was sent back, he might be killed by his master before he even climbed up the high branches of Shangguan Chu.

The sound of footsteps could no longer be heard. Bai Xue stood up from the grass. Her legs were numb after squatting for a long time. She rested against the big stone for a while. After a while, she decided to go according to the original plan - to break into that room. I thought it was just the tower of the library! The most important thing is that she has found out clearly that Shen Luoxin is also locked up tonight. If she is accidentally exposed, Shen Luoxin can be pulled out as a shield. As the maid next to Miss Shen, she is worried that she will be imprisoned because of herself, so after a lot of fighting between heaven and man, she decides to break into the tower late at night to save her alone. .

Although this reason is far-fetched, it may save him from death.

I don’t know if it was due to good luck, but apart from seeing a maid with a raw face holding a lantern halfway along the way, Bai Xue’s journey went smoothly without any accidents - except for the patrolling guard who suddenly decided to change the situation. outside the patrol direction. But after walking all the way to the tower safely, Bai Xue was almost certain that the team of guards just suddenly decided to change direction.

It is as natural as if you are tired of eating big fish and meat and suddenly want to eat porridge and side dishes.

There were no guards outside the courtyard. The courtyard door was open. The stone lantern in the courtyard was dark. Only through the moonlight could one see two guards standing under the short tower. They were different from the patrolling guards. The two standing inside did not look like them. The guards look more like ordinary people's... thugs. Not to mention that they are not at all powerful, but the way they are leaning against the door frame and falling asleep is somewhat unreliable.

Before that, Bai Xue had indeed been to the tower.

The master said that there was something strange at night in Ji's house, and no one he sent in came out awake. So she sneaked into Fengchen Residence, trying to find out Ji Wuyan's secrets there, but obviously, it was all in vain. It was a coincidence. Later, the Ji family was short of people. Zhao Yun said that he would select some maids from Fengchen Ju to go to Ji's family. The wages would be higher than in Feng Chenju, but no one took the initiative to ask for them.

In Fengchen Residence, little maids like them are not completely hopeless. If a nobleman likes it and gives some money to buy it, it is possible to become a little girl. But if they go to Ji's house... Even if the girl likes them, they will not be able to make a living. how? She's just a favored maid! Everyone can calculate this account.

So, she pretended to be hesitant and agreed.

When she first came in, the Huanxi maids lived in the same servants' room. She didn't dare to wander around for fear of disturbing others, so she stayed calm for a while. Later, after her master urged her, she excused herself to get lost at night and walked around, but she didn't dare to go far because she couldn't find anything.