Records of the Lost Cases of Helaitang in the Ming Dynasty

Chapter 251: Jade Fortress Floating Clouds
Wang Heng said calmly: "I can't think of a good lotus pond right now, let me ask someone else."

Li Wei bowed his hands and said, "Brother Wang, please keep it in mind for me. There is no need to rush."

Xiaocai smiled awkwardly and said, "I am not very familiar with Jiangning County. If I spend a few days searching, I will definitely find a good place."

After talking for a while, Li Wei learned that Mr. Zhang and Wang Heng Xiaocai would go down the mountain in three days. After calculating the progress of copying the scriptures, he happily decided to go back to the Imperial College together.

After seeing off Li Yan and Xiao Wu, Wang Heng and Xiao Cai looked at each other and both exclaimed: "Memories of He Xiang Lou"

At this moment, the sun is setting over the mountains, the sunset glows in the background, and the pages of the book can still be seen clearly.

Reminiscences of Hexianglou by Li Xunzhi
Mr. and Mrs. Yu fled in a hurry at night, and it took a long time. After walking only more than ten miles, Mr. Yu, Mr. Qian, and Xiao Chen rode on horseback, and in less than half an hour, we returned to the territory of Cuihua Village.

In a daze, he suddenly recalled the moment when Fu Niang was abducted. Her lips moved slightly and she said something. Thinking about this scene now, it really breaks my heart.

I saw that Mr. Qian and Xiao Chen were very familiar with the route, and I guessed that they had risked their lives to travel back and forth many times. Although I live here, I have always stayed in a corner, not caring about anything, and not asking about the conditions of the villagers' homes. I couldn't help feeling a little ashamed.

The road was covered with dust and smoke. The Cuihua Village under the sun was completely different from what it used to be. I could vaguely see a familiar hemp rock. The stream to the east of the hemp rock merged into a river. The small boat tied to the water bridge was nowhere to be seen. This should be the villa where my husband and I lived in seclusion. However, the thatched cottage and vegetable garden behind the bamboo fence were nowhere to be seen. Instead, there was a desolate scene of flat forest. It should be the illusion of the barrier set up by Yunsheng. If I had not lived here, I would not have been able to discover any clues.

Qian Shigu has been to my villa before. Judging from his expression, he probably didn't recognize the place.

Yunke's magic is so amazing, why is he still unknown?

Qian Shigu reined in his horse while he was lost in thought. Xiao Chen threw off the stirrup and walked a few steps forward. He came to a thatched pavilion. He imitated the call of a cuckoo, "cuckoo cuckoo cuckoo" three times. The sound was heard in the empty valley, and even in the woods a little further away, he could hear the sound of "cuckoo cuckoo cuckoo" three times.

A man jumped down from the top of a tree in the forest. The branch was very high, and the man landed gently, obviously a martial artist.

The visitor was a young man dressed like a farmer, wearing a brown coarse cloth short jacket, straw sandals on his feet, with a long face and thick eyebrows. When he glanced around, his eyes shone with brilliance.

Xiao Chen stepped forward cheerfully, clasped his fists and said, "Brother Li."

The man patted Xiao Chen on the shoulder, showing that they were very familiar with each other.

Qian Shigu tied his horse to the weeping willow beside the pavilion, and the man strode over to greet him: "Brother Qian."

Because they were of similar age, Qian Shigu also clasped his fists and called him, "Brother Li."

The man with the surname Li looked at Yu with scrutiny. Qian Shigu hurriedly said, "Brother Li, Li Xiucai is my classmate in the county school. Because the women in his family were suspected to be abducted by He Taisui, the second in command of King Feishan, I brought him here to rescue them. She is a young woman in her twenties with a long oval face, a very pretty appearance, and a very thin figure." Yu stood by, thinking of Fu Niang, his eyes filled with hot tears, and his heart was pounding.

Qian Shigu turned to Yu and said, "This brother Li Wan is the deputy leader of my militia. Xiao Chen and I are here to pick up Brother Li."

It turned out that Li Wan was the militia's insider in Feishan. He was dressed roughly and his face was painted black, but his every move showed that he was a scholar.

Li Wan thought for a moment and said, "Second Master He Taisui's whereabouts are erratic. I haven't seen him for a few days. He Taisui has robbed many women. If your women were abducted by him, they are most likely locked up in the tent with those women. But he is extreme and doesn't get along with General Zuo, so it's not easy to ask him for them."

Everyone showed a disappointed look. Qian Shigu said earnestly: "Brother Li, you must think of another way. This woman is an important person in the Li family."

Shi Gu did not explicitly say that she was my wife, in order to save face for my husband and I.

Yu bowed deeply to Li Wan and said, "Mr. Li, saving a life is better than building a seven-story pagoda."

Li Wan lowered her head and thought for a long time, then said, "There is a risky way. We can try it."

"Originally, I left a message to ask Brother Qian and Xiao Chen to come because I'm familiar with the military advisor's movements. He goes to the rocky cliff east of Feishan every evening to practice for more than an hour. No one is allowed to follow him, and no one is allowed to set up defenses around him. The cliff is not too high, and there is a turbulent stream below that leads to the Yangtze River. I am confident that I can swim to the bottom of the cliff and climb up the cliff. The military advisor is weak, so it should not be difficult to capture him, so I asked Brother Qian and Xiao Chen, two good hands, to help."

"Our previous plan was to capture the military advisor and then the three of us would go down the mountain within an hour and escort him to the county government office in the dark. But now the lives of the women of Li Xiucai's family are at stake. The soldiers under him will not release the women that were robbed from the Second Commander's tent unless the military advisor gives the order. We have to take risks first. Let's take the military advisor and release the women, and wait for an opportunity. If things don't go well, we can just rob the women and run away, and let the traitor live a few more days."

Xiao Chen lifted his robe and said with great pride: "Let's do it."

Qian Shigu thought about it and said, "This is the only way. We have to adapt to the situation as it arises."

I was overjoyed, but then I heard Li Wan say, "Li Xiucai, please stay here. Brother Qian, Xiao Chen and I all have some martial arts skills. If we miss a blow, it won't be too difficult for us to escape. If Li Xiucai goes with us, we will lose sight of one thing while focusing on another, and we will be controlled by others. Besides, Brother Qian and Xiao Chen are both wearing half-worn hero cloaks, which are very similar to the clothes of the brothers under General Zuo's tent. It is difficult to hide Li Xiucai's scholarly attire."

After everyone discussed it, they left one person to wait near the thatched pavilion. "Li Xiucai, it would be better if you hide in the nearby woods like I did just now. At the earliest, it will be midnight today, at the latest, midnight tomorrow or the day after tomorrow. We will come to call you when we retreat." Li Wan said, "If no one comes to look for you in three days, Li Xiucai, you can run for your life on your own."

After saying this, Li Wan smiled heartily, as if they were not going to take risks to save people, but were going to a hero banquet.

Xiao Chen took out a lotus leaf bag from his arms and handed it over, saying, "This is the rations for our militia. It's enough to satisfy hunger and thirst for two or three days."

After that, he untied the reins, and the three of them mounted their horses and left. Qian Shigu walked a few steps, reined in his horse, turned around, and shouted to Yu: "Brother Li, please be at ease and wait for our good news."

The sound of horse hooves gradually faded away on the mountain path, leaving only the green grass and wild flowers on the road that were crushed by the horseshoes and fell one after another.