Lin'an Never Night

Chapter 120 The Master Killed the Donkey
The boat docked, Yang Yuan stepped onto the land, and soon disappeared into the jungle.

When Madam Li readily agreed to take part in the plot against Wanyan Quxing, he secretly told himself that he should do something for the people of the Song Dynasty.

He did it.

The real purpose of Wanyan Zheng's marriage alliance was spoken out by his unfilial son himself, and was also known by Deputy Envoy Han, and then spread in Lin'an.

Under such circumstances, the marriage between Wanyan Zheng's family and Ugulun's family would no longer be successful.

But, that's all.

It would be different if Yang Yuan killed Deputy Envoy Han.

Deputy Envoy Han had just had a falling out with Wanyan Quxing, and everyone, including their own attendant guards, saw it all.

Wanyan Quxing is the biggest suspect.

However, the Jin Dynasty emperor Wanyan Liang was deliberately trying to weaken Wanyan Yong's power and remove his minions.

Well, in this case, there is no suspicion.

How could Wanyan Liang miss this opportunity?

He will definitely seize on this incident and make a big fuss about it, claiming it is an ironclad case that no one can overturn, thus having an excuse to raise the knife against Wanyan Zheng's family.

Any emperor with a little bit of scheming would not miss this opportunity to strike and weaken the powerful enemy.

What's more, Wanyan Liang is by no means a stupid man.

Brother Ya propped the pole in the water to steady the boat, and watched Yang Yuan's figure disappear under the shade of the trees, feeling indescribably shocked.

He didn't know why Yang Yuan rushed to Chunyoufang in the east wing of the city, but he felt that it was a bit mysterious.

Just now, Yang Yuan was at the bow and suddenly shot a crossbow arrow, but he did not hide it from him. He saw it clearly.

My second brother actually killed the deputy envoy of the Jin Kingdom!
Although Brother Ya had pounded the table and cursed Golden Dog when he was playing in the water and drinking with his brothers, he had never imagined that one day, he, a common man, would really come into conflict with Golden Dog.

For a moment, he actually felt it was unreal.

When Yang Yuan landed, he turned around and said to him, "Tonight, we will go back to Houshi Street together. If it is inconvenient for you, please leave first."

After savoring it now, he roughly understood what Yang Yuan meant.

The second brother is asking him to make a choice.

So, should he just leave and pretend that nothing happened, draw a clear line between himself and his second brother, or wait here?
The lake water surged gently, and with the oars fixed in the water, the boat remained steady.

After a long time, Brother Ya pulled the bamboo pole out of the water.

He jumped ashore and tied the boat under a big willow tree.

Then he sat down on the bank, leaning against a willow tree...

Brother Ya reached out and plucked a grass stem, pulled out the tender core, and held it in his mouth.

If a person dies, a bird will look up to the sky, and he will not die for tens of thousands of years!
Fuck it, this is much more exciting than riding the waves!

……

Nima Sa initially thought that Deputy Envoy Han had suddenly fallen ill.

Until he gently brushed away the peach petal stuck on Deputy Envoy Han's brow and saw the round hole that was only as thick as a baby's little finger.

Nima Sacai's face suddenly changed.

Several guards of Deputy Envoy Han surrounded them.

Deputy Envoy Han, lying among the peach blossoms, had his eyes wide open, looking lifelike.

"Master Nimasa, this...what should we do..."

A guard cried out in horror.

"Lift General Han up, quickly lift him onto the horse!"

Nimasa's face turned pale: "Quick, let's go to the National Information Institute and find Li Rong!"

A guard asked blankly, "Go to the National Trust Office? Sir, we don't... don't we go back to Banjing Hall to report to the prince?"

"If you want to die, go ahead!"

Nimasa glanced at him coldly, then turned around and told the others, "Li Rong is the envoy sent by the Song Dynasty to escort our Jin delegation. We should go find him now and ask him to arrange a ship and horses to take us back north!"

"Why not..."

The guard just now was obviously slow to react. He wanted to ask why not return north with the envoy?
Halfway through his words, his slow brain finally reacted, his face turned pale, and he dared not say any more.

The group hurriedly lifted Deputy Envoy Han onto the horse's back, secured him to the saddle, then turned around and rushed towards the Guoxin Office.

……

In the courtyard of the "Shuiyunjian" restaurant, a young man and a young girl stood opposite each other.

Both the boy and the girl have red lips, white teeth, and picturesque eyes and eyebrows.

But in terms of expressions, one looks a little unruly and wild, while the other looks a little mischievous.

If you look more closely, you will find that, this boy and girl, one is female, the other is also female.

Ah Man raised his chin and said arrogantly, "Don't talk so much nonsense. Is Yang Yuan here? I have something to say to him."

Qingtang looked at Ah Man warily: "What exactly do you want to do with my brother-in-law? Tell me what you want, and I will tell my brother-in-law."

"You are his sister-in-law? Why haven't I heard him say that he is married?"

Ah Man smiled and said, "You little girl, you want to help me pass on a message? Your hair hasn't even grown out yet. Go and call him out. My patience is very limited."

Qingtang sneered: "You are now fully grown, so impressive! My brother-in-law is talking to my sister and has no time to pay attention to you. You can say it or not, if you don't want to, get out, I won't tell you this."

Ah Man was about to rush in, but Qing Tang immediately stepped aside to block him.

Ah Man stared at Qing Tang, then suddenly smiled sweetly, raised her right hand, pinched her fingers together, and looked at her wrist.

"Oh, it's really easy to see the King of Hell, but it's hard to deal with the little ghost."

Ah Man showed the gold bracelet on her wrist and said proudly, "I was embarrassed by a little girl like you. Wait, when I meet Yang Yuan, it won't be enough to just give me a pair of gold bracelets. I will be able to get everything, such as rings, earrings, etc."

what?
Was her gold bracelet a gift from Mr. Yang?
Qingtang’s eyes were red. I haven’t received anything yet... No, my sister hasn’t received anything yet!
Qingtang curled his lips and said, "What's so great about that? My sister has gold bracelets, gold hairpins, gold shawl pendants, everything."

"It's your sister's, not yours!"

"I……"

The two little girls were bickering when Yang Yuan came out from behind.

Ah Man's eyes lit up and he waved, "Here, here, come here quickly."

Qingtang turned around and saw that it was Yang Yuan, and she pouted.

The master actually gave that little girl a gold bracelet, such a beautiful one at that. I'm so angry!

Yang Yuan didn't expect that as soon as he climbed over the back wall and entered the yard, he saw Ah Man, who walked towards him with a little surprise.

Ah Man glanced at Qing Tang proudly and said to Yang Yuan, "Our girl said that she is very happy now. Tomorrow, at the same place, she wants to see you."

After saying that, Ah Man turned around and walked towards the restaurant like a proud little peacock.

Qingtang came over immediately and said, "Master, who is this uneducated little girl?"

"Her master has business dealings with me. She is a golden person, so don't offend her easily."

"Oh..." Qingtang's anger subsided a little. After all, they were business partners, so that was understandable.

However, we still have to take precautions.

Therefore, Qingtang took the lead and found Danniang: "Master, you have to be careful. The beautiful girl in the private room on the second floor knows Master's father-in-law. Master's father-in-law also gave her maid a pair of gold bracelets."

Qingtang looked at her wrist and said, "That gold bracelet is so beautiful. I don't even have one. Master, has your master ever given you one?"

"roll!"

"Okay!" Qingtang left without hesitation. Anyway, her words had been conveyed.

The more the master appears to not care, the more he cares in his heart.

She will definitely work hard, hehe...

……

Yang Yuan went upstairs and went to the tea room.

After a while, Dan Niang came in.

She seemed to be unaffected by Qingtang's message. When she saw Yang Yuan, she said happily, "Sir, I have fulfilled my mission. Today's matter is done!"

"Yes, we have finally accomplished this."

Yang Yuan seemed to be in a trance, and was silent for a while before he said, "I still clearly remember the time when I came to see you.

When Wanyan Quxing came to the Song Dynasty, he would never have thought that he would be like this when he returned. On my side, in just a short period of time, everything has changed.”

Yes! The day the great master came to look for me, I wanted to jump into the West Lake and commit suicide.

Who would have thought that such a huge change would happen in such a short period of time.

My parents are no longer my nightmares, the Fang family of Huzhou can no longer bring bad luck to me, and I have a great husband...

Dan Niang sat down next to Yang Yuan and looked at him lovingly.

Yang Yuan said: "Just in case, I won't show up again for the next period of time."

Dan Niang felt reluctant to hear this, but it was no small matter to alienate the two major forces of the Jin people and stir up suspicion between the Jin monarch and his ministers.

The great official is an official of the imperial court, so of course he cannot let the Jin people see that the Song people are behind this. So at this critical moment, it is reasonable for the great official to hide for a while.

Even though she was reluctant, Dan Niang still secretly persuaded herself.

It wasn't that Yang Yuan didn't come for a while afterwards. In his opinion, he would never come again.

Next, he had to deal with a huge monster all by himself.
Can he survive?

impossible.

He didn't know how far he could go on this road of revenge. He only knew that he would definitely fall on this road. The only thing he could do was to take a few more steps.

"By the way, go find Madam Li later and acknowledge her as your godmother."

Outside the door, Li Shishi just walked to the door and was about to knock, but when she heard these words, she suddenly stopped.

In the tea room, Yang Yuan smiled and said, "Others don't know that you are the descendant of the Lord of Jiangnan, but they know that you have a 'mother'. Tomorrow, Wanyan Quxing's story will surely spread throughout Lin'an City. In order to avoid anyone discovering any suspicious points, it is better to be safe."

Dan Niang agreed softly, "Okay, Nunu will go and talk to Madam Li in a moment."

"The exam will begin in a little over a month. Two months later, the list will be posted and Shuiyunjian will be packed with people. Congratulations, Dan Niang."

Dan Niang also smiled.

From now on, this shop belongs to her.

This will be where she will settle down, the foundation for her to feel at ease, and the source of her courage to pursue what she loves.

And all this luck was brought to her by the man in front of her.

"I still have something else to do..."

Yang Yuan thought about it and decided that there was nothing to explain to Dan Niang. Today's farewell would be forever.

I am just a passer-by in her life, so there is no need to say more and I will get up and say goodbye.

"Sir, wait a minute..."

When Dan Niang saw that Yang Yuan was about to leave suddenly again, she could no longer wait.

The master won't be here for a while, and she feels uneasy today because she is uncertain about this relationship.

Yang Yuan raised his eyebrows at her in surprise.

Dan Niang lowered her head shyly and said softly: "Nu Nu... It is thanks to the great master that we have today's result. I am so grateful that I don't know how to repay him.

"I only have this one body, and I am willing... to be your mistress from now on, to serve you and take care of you, to repay you for your kindness. I hope you will grant my consent."

Dan Niang lowered her head and waited for a long time, but when there was no reply from Yang Yuan, she quietly raised her eyes.

Outside the door, Li Shishi also held her breath.

Gossip is a woman's nature. Now that there is no one around, she doesn't need to pretend to be indifferent, but her ears are perked up.

Yang Yuan looked at Dan Niang and said slowly, "I gave it to you, and you helped me, so we are even. Why do I need you to repay me with your own body?"

Dan Niang said shyly, "Sir, how can you be so ignorant of romance? Do you have to make it so clear? If I...if I didn't have you in my heart, how could I repay you with my body?"

Li Shishi heard it from outside the door and couldn't help but smile knowingly. She subconsciously covered her mouth, fearing that if she made any sound, she would not be able to hear such a good show.

Yang Yuan said, "Dan Niang and I have always been in contact to plan important things together. How can we have any private affairs? Dan Niang, where do you get the reason to like me?"

He shook his head: "It's just the suspension bridge effect!"

Dan Niang was about to refute, but when she heard this incomprehensible word, she was stunned: "Suspension bridge effect?"

Yang Yuan said: "Once upon a time, there was a wise man who selected twenty students from a college and divided them into two groups.

"He found another beautiful woman and went to the college, looking for a reason to talk and chat with the first group of people, contacting them one by one.

"For the second group of ten people, he arranged for them to climb a suspension bridge on the back mountain. The mountain was a hundred feet high. When the wind blew, the suspension bridge swayed, which was frightening. Then, he also arranged for this beautiful woman to meet and talk with them on the suspension bridge..."

Even though Li Shishi was well-read and knowledgeable about ancient and modern times, she had never heard of such a story. She was very curious and wanted to ask on behalf of Dan Niang what was going on and what happened next.

Yang Yuan said: "Then, after a while, the wise man had a private conversation with these twenty students. He found that those who had seen the woman in the academy had forgotten her. But most of those who had seen the woman on the suspension bridge could not forget her and even fell in love with her..."

Dan Niang said puzzledly: "My Lord, what you said... I don't quite understand..."

Yang Yuan smiled and explained, "The ten students in the academy saw the woman when they were calm and safe. Even though the woman was beautiful and would make people feel good about her, it was just a chance encounter, and after many days, they would forget about her.

"But it's different for those people on the suspension bridge. They are standing on the swaying suspension bridge, trembling with fear. When they meet this woman, it will be particularly unforgettable.

“While talking with this woman, they ignored the swaying suspension bridge under their feet and even mistakenly thought that this was the sense of security that the woman brought them.

"All these things not only make them unforgettable about the woman they met, but also make them think that they fell in love with her at first sight."

Dan Niang opened her eyes wide and looked at Yang Yuan.

Yang Yuan asked: "So, does that mean you really like her? If you really spend every day with her, how long can this mistaken feeling of affection last?"

Li Shishi stood outside the door and listened in a trance.

She had never heard of such a fable before, and now she had only one thought in her mind:
Did I really fall in love with Xiao Yi back then?
Why is it that ever since he met me, he has been following me and staying by my side, risking life and death for me, but I only treat him as a brother and a partner?
Even though he confessed his love to me with all his heart, I never gave myself to him. But after he died in the river, I couldn't stop thinking about him, as if I had lost the love of my life?
Am I... moved by him, or am I moved by myself?
Li Shishi has lived alone these years, and when she has nothing to do, she passes the time by reading Buddhist and Taoist classics.

Such people are accustomed to exploring the essence and connotation of things.

As a result, Yang Yuan's words that were intended to enlighten Dan Niang were overheard by Li Shishi, who then fell into a series of philosophical paradoxes.

Until Yang Yuan left "Shuiyunjian", Li Shishi, who had returned to her room one step ahead, was still struggling to explore the question of "which came first, the chicken or the egg", cause and effect, karma and fate, responsibility and liability, loyalty and forgiveness...

The bad consequences of reading too much are evident. This beautiful and intelligent lady has fallen into the pit she dug for herself, struggling in the philosophical trap and unable to climb out...

After Yang Yuan left, Qingtang sneaked into the tea room.

She just reported the matter to the master, and the master must have felt a sense of crisis. His relationship with Mr. Yang should have progressed a step further, right?

But what she saw was Dan Niang sitting blankly beside the tea table, not saying a word.

"Master? Sister? What are you thinking about?"

Qingtang circled in front of Dan Niang twice, but Dan Niang seemed not to notice him.

Qingtang couldn't help it, and finally ran to Dan Niang and asked directly.

Dan Niang slowly turned her face and looked at Qingtang with a wronged expression, almost crying.

"Qingtang."

"Ok?"

"Mr. Yang has removed the millstone and is now going to kill the donkey."

"what?"

Qingtang widened his eyes, as if he understood, but also as if he didn't understand.

Dan Niang suddenly hugged her and sobbed: "From now on, you will only be my one..."

Qingtang felt so warmed and touched by what she heard, even though she didn't know what had happened.

Qingtang patted Danniang's back gently, thinking about what to say to comfort his master.
Dan Niang suddenly pushed her away again, and said with tears in her eyes: "But what's the use of you?"

Tired, destroy it!

I don't want to care whether you love to die or not.

The black-hearted little cotton-padded jacket walked away angrily and never wanted to talk to her again.

……

Yang Yuan walked out from "Between Water and Clouds" step by step.

As the sun sets, the golden sunset shines on the lake, and the lake surface is like a huge canvas, painting a colorful picture.

The boat plows slowly across the rustling water, with the sky, water color, cloud shadows, ripples, boats, human figures, lotus leaves... all intertwined in a magnificent beauty.

Yang Yuan did not stop, nor did he look back. After tomorrow, he would become an invisible man. After giving up everything today, why should he look back?

Yang Yuan stopped by the lake. He looked slowly along the shore and saw Duck Brother taking a nap leaning against an old willow tree in the sunset.

There were several small boats moored on the shore waiting for passengers to cruise the lake. The boatmen were all sitting on the shore, but Duck Brother was the most leisurely.

Yang Yuan felt warm in his heart and walked towards the old willow tree.

(End of this chapter)