Aoyama

Chapter 500 See You Later
At 9 PM, the capital city fell silent, as if the hustle and bustle had been taken away with the departure of the procession.

A group of people sped out of Taiye Pond and stopped in front of the Huitongguan in Dongjiang Rice Lane. The lights in the Huitongguan were off, and it seemed that everyone had already left.

The leader dismounted and strode into the hall: "Your Highness may come out now."

Footsteps echoed down the stairs, and Princess Liyang emerged from the darkness, dressed in men's clothing. She smiled and looked at the white dragon below, saying, "It is truly an honor to have Lord White Dragon personally escort me away."

Bai Long tucked his hands into his sleeves and said calmly, "Your Highness is of noble birth, so it is only right that you be dressed formally. I would not feel comfortable having someone else accompany you."

Princess Liyang asked, "Is it safe now?"

Bai Long calmly said, "Chen Ji has diverted all of His Highness's attention, so it is naturally much safer and more secure."

Princess Liyang suddenly asked, "Will he be alright?"

Bai Long looked up and examined Princess Li Yang: "Is Your Highness worried about Chen Ji?"

Princess Liyang said sincerely, "Lord Bailong, do you think I am heartless? Without Lord Chen, I would have died long ago beyond the Great Wall. Someone saved my life, how could I not remember any kindness?"

Bai Long casually suggested, "Then why doesn't Your Highness stay a few more days and help Chen Ji draw the killing intent back?"

Princess Liyang smiled gently: "Wouldn't that be a waste of Lord Chen's efforts? Let's leave tonight... Where is Yuancheng?"

Bai Long turned and left the meeting hall: "You'll know when we get there."

Princess Liyang walked out of the meeting hall and saw more than a hundred secret agents standing on their horses, with wooden sticks in their mouths and thick cotton cloth wrapped around their hooves.

The group included the Divine Rabbit, the Cloud Sheep, the Black Serpent, and the Precious Monkey. This time, Princess Liyang was genuinely worried. She frowned and looked at the White Dragon: "Lord White Dragon, did the spies really leave no backup plan beside Chen Ji? And who is the person impersonating me?"

Bai Long mounted his horse and said casually, "The most important thing is for Your Highness and Yuan Cheng to leave safely. Naturally, we should keep all our men by your side."

Princess Liyang said solemnly, "He is also a meritorious official of your Ning Dynasty. Don't you care at all whether he lives or dies?"

Xuan She, completely shrouded in a black cloak, slowly said, "Your Highness, he is a member of the Chen family. We are the eunuch faction. We don't need to worry about his life or death. Whether he lives or dies has nothing to do with us. Besides, it is the Crown Prince who wants to frame him, not us."

Bai Long, seated atop his horse, looked down at Princess Li Yang and asked, "Is Your Highness going to leave or not?"

Princess Liyang gritted her teeth and mounted her horse: "Let's go."

Bai Long took the lead and headed east towards Chaoyang Gate. The group moved with lightning speed, and before they even reached Chaoyang Gate, a secret agent carrying an imperial edict ordered the Five Cities Garrison to open a crack in the city gate to allow the group to pass through.

Then, Chaoyang Gate slowly closed again.

Not only Chaoyang Gate, but all nine inner gates of the capital city were closed tonight without the Prime Minister's written order; even cabinet ministers were forbidden from entering or leaving. By now, even if someone realized that Chen Ji's situation was just a decoy, it would be too late to do anything.

……

……

The secret agents escorted Princess Liyang on a rapid journey southeast without stopping.

Princess Liyang, riding against the wind, asked loudly, "Where are we going?"

But no one answered her.

When the moon was high in the sky, the secret service team finally arrived at the first post station.

Princess Liyang looked at the signboard of the post station, "Langfang Post Station," and suddenly realized, "Are you going to take me to Tanggu Port and send me back to Jingchao by waterway?"

Still no one answered him.

The spies dismounted in front of the post station, and one of Xuan She's spies kicked open the closed door, shouting, "Get out here!"

The postmaster and the clerk, still dazed, ran out angrily and shouted, "Where did this wild fellow come from... esteemed officials!"

Upon seeing the dense mass of spies outside the door, the post station official immediately became alert, his legs trembling with fear: "Gentlemen, what has happened?"

Bai Long led his men through the main hall of the post station and headed towards the stables at the back: "Change the horses. We didn't bring the Ministry of War's fire warrants today because of our confidential mission; we'll make up for it tomorrow."

The postmaster hurriedly replied, "Alright, alright, please make yourselves at home."

The spies led out more than a hundred warhorses from the stables, saddled them, and set off again, covered in dust.

The journey from the capital to Tanggu is a total of 300 li (approximately 150 kilometers). There are three post stations along the way, and horses are changed at each post station, allowing the journey to proceed at a speed of 400 li (approximately 200 kilometers) per li.

Even though Princess Liyang was mentally prepared, she still found it hard to bear.

By the time the Secret Service agents arrived at Tanggu Port, it was already dawn. The rising sun slowly peeked out from the horizon, its golden-red outline barely visible. Princess Liyang looked at the sunrise as if she were in a bizarre dream.

She looked at Bai Long: "Where is Yuan Cheng?"

Bai Long dismounted and walked towards the port. At the end of the port, a large two-masted ship was moored. A plump figure was standing on the ship's side, gazing into the distance, while a young man sat on the observation deck on the mast, resting with his eyes closed.

Golden Pig, Pegasus.

Bai Long approached and said, "You've worked hard." Jin Zhu smiled and said, "I've been waiting for you to come. If you hadn't come, I'm afraid I would have smelled like the sea."

Bai Long boarded the large ship on a sampan: "Where is Yuan Cheng?"

Jin Zhu said with a smile, "The old man is having breakfast in the cabin. Yesterday he was complaining that he didn't want to eat fish anymore and wanted to eat dumplings instead."

Bai Long then asked, "Where are the Jing Dynasty's troops?"

Jin Zhu pointed to the sea in the distance: "We didn't let them dock; they're staying near the shore."

After capturing Yuancheng alive, the Pingdong Army never brought him back to the capital, but instead placed him in Tanggu Port. From Tanggu, if the wind was favorable, it would take four days to reach Lushun and seven days to reach Jinzhou.

At this moment, the secret agents escorted Princess Liyang onto the ship. Someone signaled with flags, and the sailors hoisted the sails and slowly headed out to sea.

Bai Long stood on the deck, facing the wind, and dismissed the others, beckoning Jin Zhu to him alone: ​​"Where is Mr. Feng?"

Jin Zhu said in a low voice, "When we were returning, he stayed alone in Jingchao. I asked him why he didn't go back, and he only said that he had things to do, but he didn't say what they were... I didn't dare to ask any more questions."

The white dragon gazed at the golden light shimmering on the sea, remaining silent for a long time.

The man who gave himself the posthumous title "Wenzheng" in advance is now a mystery, and it is unknown what earth-shattering event he will cause when he reappears.

The white dragon waved to the golden pig: "Summon Princess Liyang."

As Princess Liyang approached, he instructed her without turning his head: "As far as we know, Lushun is now under Lu Jin's control. Do not go there. You must land in Jinzhou."

Princess Liyang smiled and said, "Lord Bailong is very capable; he knows more than I do."

Bai Long had no time for banter with her: "Make sure the people on the other ship are yours before boarding. Some people risked their lives to get you this far. Don't let your efforts be wasted because you misjudged people."

Princess Liyang seemed thoughtful, and subtly probed, "Is Lord Bailong speaking up for Chen Ji? I can hear the concern in your words. If so, why not keep people around Chen Ji?"

“I don’t care about him,” Bai Long said calmly. “The departure of more than a hundred people from the capital last night must have been noticed by those with ulterior motives. They will understand that Chen Ji’s side was just a decoy. Don’t worry, he will be fine.”

Princess Liyang laughed and said, "It's a pity we couldn't lure out Lu Jin's men."

Bai Long didn't take it to heart: "It's alright, there will be plenty of opportunities."

Princess Liyang, holding onto the hull, watched the Jing Dynasty ships getting closer and closer on the sea, and sighed: "I was so unwilling to come, but I am actually a little reluctant to leave."

Bai Long turned to look at her: "Why?"

Princess Liyang laughed and said, "Back in the capital, I was constantly scheming against others. Everyone else did dirty work, so I had to do it too. This time, coming to Ningchao with Lord Chen and Miss Zhang, we faced countless life-or-death situations, like characters in a storybook—it was a rare and exhilarating experience. The day I followed him through Anding Gate, watching him drink wine in front of it, I felt that such a person should have been born in my Jingchao. But it's better that he's gone..."

Bai Long calmly asked, "And why is that?"

Princess Liyang looked at the rising sun and said, "The sun rises and sets. Lord Chen is full of youthful vigor, but there will come a day when it will all be worn away. In this world, fame and fortune are the most destructive things. It would be a great pity to see such a person grow old and frail and compete with others for profit."

Bai Long said calmly, "He wouldn't."

Princess Liyang covered her mouth and chuckled: "You said you weren't concerned just now, but you found out as soon as you tried. It seems that Lord Bailong is a very close person to Lord Chen."

At this moment, the two large ships drew closer. On the opposite ship stood a row of soldiers, the one in the lead wearing black armor and a black tassel on his head, who was at least a general of the Jing Dynasty.

Bai Long asked, "Who is this?"

Princess Liyang curled her lips into a smile: "Jiang Pan, the Xun Dao Jing Xing Guan under the command of the Dongjing Dao Jiedushi, is my person."

Bai Long waved to those behind him, and the secret agents set up several sampans between the two ships, helping the gray-haired and extremely disheveled Yuan Cheng to the opposite ship.

Princess Liyang lifted her skirt and stepped onto the sampan. Before she even arrived, Jiang Pan reached out and helped her onto the opposite boat.

She turned to Bai Long and said, "Eight thousand warhorses and two thousand soldiers and civilians will be delivered to Chongli Pass within a month. Lord Bai Long, until we meet again."

Bai Long's words were devoid of emotion: "Never again."

Princess Liyang smiled and said, "It's not that absolute. Life is long, who can say for sure?"

The two large ships gradually separated, growing further and further apart, gazing at each other across the sea.

Once they had become mere black dots in each other's eyes, Princess Liyang's smile faded: "Take good care of Lord Yuan; he will be of great use when he returns to the court."

Jiang Pan said in a low voice, "What use is Lord Yuan now that he has lost all his spirit?"

Princess Liyang said softly, "It's good that he has no temper. If he still has temper, I'm worried that I won't be able to control him... By the way, has anything important happened recently?"

Jiang Pan thought for a moment: "The news of the successor of the sword seed has already spread back to the court and the public. Some people in the Martial Temple have said that they must find this person... Your Highness, you were also outside Chongli Pass at the time. Do you know who this person is? If we can hand over this person, perhaps the Martial Temple will stop supporting Lu Jin and start supporting us instead."

Princess Liyang remained silent for a long time. The sea wind was strong, causing her hair to flutter wildly.

Finally, she turned and walked into the cabin: "I don't know."

(End of this chapter)