Chang Ji scratched his face, "This... I really don't know. The young lady probably has to choose a good day to set off. Maybe it's the best day?"

Gu Changjin didn't answer.

Chang Ji asked tentatively: "Master, do you want to change the itinerary? The young lady must go to the ferry to book a boat before departure. Then we will know when she will set off?"

Gu Changjin was silent for a moment, then shook his head and said: " No need to change, just stick to the original plan."

In the evening of the next day, when the Golden Crow was setting in the west, a caravan left the city gate.

Half an hour later, the news that Liu Yuan and Pan Xueliang were hiding in the caravan and leaving for Beijing was sent to Wutong Lane.

Xu Fu called Gu Changjin.

"In previous years, when autumn comes, pirates are most rampant along the coast. You have two tasks on your trip to Yangzhou: one is to kill Liang Xiao, the governor of the Yangzhou garrison, while the pirates are invading. The other is to marry Liang Xiao's death. The fault lies with Liao Rao. "

Liang Xiao is a general under Emperor Jiayou. He was once the commander of the Jinwu Guard. He is now the commander of Yangzhou and the governor of the garrison. He is responsible for the coastal defense of Yangzhou and several neighboring counties.

"General Liang and Governor Liao have been working hard to defend Dayin's coastal defense these years. Auntie, are you going to kill them all at once?" Gu Changjin frowned, "In this case, the coastal defense in Jiangsu and Zhejiang will be completely defeated."

Xu Fu smiled. He said: "Liang Xiao is a foolish and loyal person, but he has been doing his best to repel the pirates, but Liao Rao can never be called a hero. Why do you think the pirates in the Jiangnan area have been repeatedly suppressed in these years?"

Gu Changjin slowly raised his eyes and said, "What do you mean, aunt, Liao Rao has been supporting the bandits?"

Xu Fu nodded and said, "As long as the bandits continue, no one can shake his position as the governor of Jiangsu and Zhejiang. Jiangsu and Zhejiang This area is Dayin's richest land of plenty. After the maritime ban, there were many Dayin merchants who took risks and colluded with pirates. In recent years, Liao Rao, while receiving military pay from the imperial court's scoundrels, opened doors for these pirates, and then accepted the merchants' wages. The filial piety fee is probably enough to cover Dayin's tax money for a year and a half."

Gu Changjin's eyes darkened and he said disapprovingly: "In this case, Liao Rao is more than worthy of death, if he is a loyal protector. Why did my aunt want to kill him?"

"Loyal Lord?" Xu Fu sneered, "Who was he loyal to? Did you know that he was the commander of the Jinwu Guard and would have been loyal to your father to the death? How could Xiao Yan enter the city gate so smoothly and win the throne without any blood?"

Xu Fu looked into Gu Changjin's eyes and said word by word: "Those who betrayed your father will all die. "Yan'er, do you understand? You will never forget the oath you made!"

Gu Changjin looked at Xu Fu for a moment, then solemnly nodded and said, "Don't worry, aunt, I will definitely avenge my father."

Three days later.

A dusty carriage headed from Wutong Lane to the ferry.

Chang Ji touched the stubble on his chin and asked, "Master, do you think I look like Pan Gongshi?"

Chang Ji was a fastidious person. In the past, he would have to tidy up even if he was driving a carriage. In order to disguise himself as Pan Xueliang, he had not washed or shaved for three days, and even his clothes were in tatters.

Gu Changjin glanced at him and said seriously: "Don't smile, be more serious."

Chang Ji quickly suppressed his smile.

From Shangjing to Pingjin Ferry, you have to pass through a stone mountain in the western suburbs. If everything goes well, you can cross the stone mountain and reach the ferry in about an hour.

Changji rubbed his face and practiced a solemn expression all the way.

The car was open, and the wind blew in from time to time. When the carriage was about to leave Shizi Mountain, Chang Ji suddenly put down his hand and looked at Gu Changjin.

The wind outside carried a hint of saltpeter.

The expressions of both of them changed.

"Hengping, there are explosives!"

As Chang Ji finished speaking, three figures quickly ran away from the carriage.

There was only a loud "bang" sound, and a corner of Shizi Mountain was blown away. Huge rocks rolled down from the mountain, smashing the carriage into pieces.

Such a loud noise was naturally heard by people waiting for the boat at the ferry.

Luo Yan's ears twitched, and he frowned and looked in the direction of Shizi Mountain.

Rong Shu saw her solemn expression and asked hurriedly: "Sister Luoyan, what is this sound?"

Luoyan thought for a moment and said truthfully: "It sounds like someone detonated explosives. There shouldn't be much explosives, but it's better to be careful. "We'd better get on the boat as soon as possible." Rong Shu only took Zhang's mother and Luo Yan with him on this trip. Hearing this, he said to Zhang's mother

: "Mom, go ask Mr. Guan when we can set off."

He hurriedly responded and came back from the ferry not long after, saying: "The boatman said that we can leave in another half an hour. At present, the Shen family's more than ten cargo ships are still blocked there. If the cargo ships don't leave, our passenger ship can't get out."

Rong Shu glanced at the sky and knew that this matter could not be urgent, so he had no choice but to nod his head, "Let's wait a little longer."

Fortunately, half an hour later, the cargo ship finally moved.

The Shen family's business is spread throughout Dayin, they have their own caravan fleet, and their relationship with the Caobang has always been good.

Rong Shu is riding on the Shen family's passenger ship. The boatman's surname is Guan. When Shen was a child, Rong Shu was sent to Yangzhou Mansion, and when Rong Shu came back from Yangzhou Mansion to Beijing, it was Mr. Guan who sent her as a gift. .

So as soon as he boarded the ship, Rong Shu smiled and called: "Old man Guan."

The energetic old man said cheerfully: "It's hard for the girl to remember the old man. Don't worry, the old man will send the girl to Yangzhou safely. ."

After saying that, he sent someone to lead Rong Shu into the cabin of the cabin.

The guest room is carefully arranged, with a bed, desks, piano table, and the four treasures of the study room. A clean room is also specially separated and surrounded by four large screens.

At this time, there was light smoke in the three-legged incense burner, the windows were very bright, and the fine smoke climbing in the air was illuminated by the light, revealing her graceful figure.

It was approaching noon, and Zhang’s mother went out to prepare lunch.

Luo Yan was packing his luggage quickly when he suddenly heard a soft rustling sound coming from the clean room. He hurriedly stepped forward to block Rong Shu, drew his sword and pointed it at the four screens, saying coldly: "Who is that person?"

Rong Shu said in a cold voice. Shu's heart skipped a beat, and he subconsciously pressed the bracelet on his wrist. There were a dozen fine needles tempered with anesthetic hidden inside.

But the next moment, when she saw the person walking out of the screen, she immediately let go and said in surprise: "Chang Ji?"

Chang Ji carried Gu Changjin on his back, forced a smile on his blood-stained face, and said to Rong Shu : "Young Madam, I'm sorry to disturb you."

When the explosives exploded the mountain just now, the master stood behind him and was knocked unconscious by the gravel. Before he passed out, he did not forget to tell him: "Go to Yangzhou, don't delay."

When Chang Ji and the two carried him to the dense forest near the ferry, they discovered that Rong Shu happened to be there too.

For them, there is really no end to the problem.

They had prepared a boat to Yangzhou, but in the current situation of the master, it was much safer to stay in the young lady's boat than to take theirs.

Chang Ji was worried and simply hid Gu Changjin while the cargo ships were leaving the ferry.

He kowtowed heavily to Rong Shu and said: "Young lady, don't worry, Hengping and the master have changed clothes. As soon as you leave, I will burn the original ship. I and I will cover up others' eyes, and those people They will only think that we abandoned the water route and took the land route, and will not notice the young lady’s passenger ship.”

Chang Ji was worried about whether hiding his master here would bring risks. The young lady and her master had reconciled again, and he didn't know if she would accept it.

Rong Shu's eyes were fixed on the man on his back, recalling the tragic situation when he came back from Yangzhou in his previous life. After thinking for a moment, he finally agreed.

"Just do what you said. Don't worry, there is medicine in the passenger ship. I will send Mr. Gu safely to Yangzhou."

Chang Ji looked happy and did not delay. After putting Gu Changjin down, he kowtowed three times to Rong Shu solemnly. , he jumped out of the boat's gangway. He had excellent qinggong skills. Even though he was seriously injured, there was still no sound of splashing water when he entered the water.

As soon as Chang Ji left, Rong Shu asked Luo Yan to move the screens outside the clean room and surround the bed.

"He said that I was caught in the wind at the ferry and had a headache. I can't see the wind now." With that, he was about to help Chang Jin.

"Girl, I'll do it."

Luo Yan took the lead, picked up the unconscious man, and easily threw him onto the couch like a sandbag.

Rong Shu reached out and touched his forehead, and sure enough, he felt hot.

Not long after Pan Xueliang hanged himself in his previous life, Gu Changjin left for Yangzhou, almost half a month earlier than in this life. Was it also so thrilling for him to go to Yangzhou at that time?

Rong Shu only remembered that he was seriously injured when he came back from Yangzhou, and almost half of his life was lost. He had no idea whether he was injured when he left.

There was a barefoot doctor in the passenger ship. Rong Shu thought for a while and said to Luo Yan: "Sister, please go and tell Mother Zhang about the situation here. Let her ask the doctor to prescribe some medicine and bring a jar of burning knives along the way."

When Luo Yan came out, she turned Gu Changjin's body slightly to one side, and as expected, the clothes on her back were soaked in blood.

He couldn't help but sigh: "You are really... unlucky."

Gu Changjin heard her sigh.

The sound was so far away, so shadowy, that he wanted to continue listening, but his shattered consciousness struggled for a few moments before falling into deep darkness.

He thought he would never hear the girl's voice again, but the next moment, the familiar voice sounded in his ears again.

"Lang Jun, does it hurt?"

Does it hurt?

painful.

My head hurts, my throat hurts, and my limbs all hurt.

But he couldn't say such things, as she would be sad if he did.

Gu Changjin said in a hoarse voice: "It doesn't hurt." As

soon as he finished speaking, light suddenly poured into his eyes.

The girl was sitting by the couch, holding a bowl of medicine in her hand. When she saw him waking up, her eyes instantly turned red, and tears filled her peach blossom eyes, like peach blossom petals wetted by the spring rain.

"Are you crying?" he said hoarsely.

As if she didn't expect that he would wake up, she stared at him blankly, tears hanging in her eyelashes, which were very pitiful.

Perhaps because she felt that she was being too pretentious, the young lady hurriedly raised her sleeves and wiped her eyes, and said: "You are unwilling to drink the medicine. Chang Ji and I can't feed you. If I hadn't invited Dr. Sun to come - "

She choked slightly when she said this.

He almost died this time.

Gu Changjin understood. She shed tears because he couldn't take medicine when he was unconscious.

"I'll drink." He whispered, and because his voice was so hoarse, he repeated it again, "Give me the medicine, and I'll drink."

So, don't cry.

From now on, I will drink all the medicine you give me.

The bitter liquid slipped down his throat. He looked at her and couldn't bear to look away.

However, the injury was probably too serious, and as the medicine took effect, he fell into a drowsy sleep again.

For a long period of time, he was sometimes awake and sometimes sleepy. It wasn't until the wounds on his back gradually scabbed that he could stay.

There had already been several heavy snowfalls in Beijing by that time.

In the past, when it snowed, she loved to go to the sycamore tree to play with rabbits and birds. Because he was injured, this year she had no interest in playing in the snow.

That day when he entered the palace and came out of the Yangxin Hall, he saw a little eunuch from a distance conjuring one palm-sized ice sculpture after another for Prince An like a magic trick.

Probably because he grew up in the palace, Prince An's temperament was much calmer and taciturn than that of an ordinary eleven-year-old child.

At this moment, when he saw the ice sculpture in the little eunuch's hand, his black and white eyes were wide open, giving him a little more childishness that a child should have.

Gu Changjin looked at the lifelike little ice sculpture placed on the ground by the young eunuch, and for some reason, he knew that the girl would like it.

He raised his feet and walked over.

The young eunuch was coaxing Prince An when he saw the tall man approaching and couldn't help but tremble, thinking that the cold-faced Yan Guan was coming to reprimand him.

Unexpectedly, when the man came over, he first bowed to Prince An, and then asked him: "How did you carve this little ice sculpture?"

As soon as he said this, not to mention the little eunuch, even Prince An opened his round eyes to steal. Look at him.

The young eunuch learned this skill from the old eunuch in the same palace. He quickly took out a stone ground into thin slices and demonstrated it to him.

I have to say that people with good brains learn very quickly.

In less than half an hour, Gu Changjin carved out a cat curled up and resting on the ground.

He wrapped the cat in fine snow and asked Chang Ji to take it to Songsiyuan when he arrived at Wutong Lane.

"Just say it was sent by the people of Wutong Lane."

Chang Ji took it, paused, and said: "Master, Pan Xueliang's burial place has been handed over to Dali Temple Prison by my subordinates. Then Lady Feng said that she wanted to Take a look before the execution. "

Ms. Feng, Pan Xueliang."

Gu Changjin opened his eyes in excitement.

The gurgling sound of water waves lingered in my ears, and the faint salty smell of sea water lingered on my nose.

It's very hot.

No snow, no ice sculptures of cats.

Memories before coma poured in like water. Someone planted explosives in Shizishan. He blocked a huge boulder for Chang Ji and then passed out completely.

Is he already on the ship to Yangzhou?

Gu Changjin turned his head slightly and saw dense screens on all sides. The pain made his consciousness particularly clear at this time.

Not long after, there was a slight sound of footsteps coming from outside the screen.

Gu Changjin stared at the screen and quietly touched the dagger at his waist.

After seeing the person clearly, his pupils shrank and his heart skipped a beat.

"Master Gu is awake?" Rong Shu put the medicine sent by Zhang's mother on the table and explained in a slow voice: "Chang Ji sent you to me and wanted to use the Shen family's boat to send you to me. Go to Yangzhou."

The moment he saw Rong Shu, Gu Changjin had already figured out the cause and effect.

"Did Chang Ji and Heng Ping take the land route instead?"

Rong Shu nodded, "Chang Ji said that this was the only way to lure those people away. Sir, don't worry, Chang Ji and Heng Ping are highly skilled in martial arts and will be able to reach Yangzhou safely. You have been comatose for more than ten days, and there are The boat will reach Yangzhou in about half a month. Sir, do you want me to help you sit up?"

She pointed to the medicine bowl on the table, "The doctor said that you need three doses of medicine a day."

I don't know why . , Gu Changjin suddenly remembered the dream just now.

If she doesn't take the medicine, she will be sad.

So he forced himself to sit up. This move involved injuries on his body, and the pain caused cold sweat to break out on his forehead.

He took the medicine without saying a word and drank it all in one gulp.

The medicine was bitter and a little spicy, and when he woke up, there was such a bitter and spicy taste on his lips and tongue.

It was she who gave him the medicine when he was unconscious.

Suddenly he remembered what he said to himself in the dream -

"I will drink the medicine you give me from now on."

His thoughts became complicated for a while.

That dream, or rather those dreams related to her, didn't feel like a dream.

It's not the first time I feel like this.

He had met Prince An at the palace banquet three years ago.

Prince An was only eight years old at that time, but Prince An in the dream was already eleven years old. How could a child who had only met him once have such a clear dream about what he would look like three years later?

And the ice cat he carved for her felt so familiar, so familiar that given him a stone chip and an ice cube, he could immediately carve out an exact cat.

Even the "Phoenix Lady" that Chang Ji mentioned, for some reason, as soon as she heard this name, she would subconsciously associate her with Pan Xueliang.

But he had never heard of this "Phoenix Lady", and neither Pan Xueliang nor Lao Shangshu mentioned this person.

If there really is a "Phoenix Lady" in this world, wouldn't it mean that his dreams are just dreams?

"Miss Rong has lived in Yangzhou for nine years. Have you ever heard of a person named 'Feng Niangzi'?"

Rong Shu had no impression of this name, but still thought about it seriously for a moment, shook his head and said, "No."

She said Looking at Gu Changjin, "Is this person related to the case you want to investigate?"

Gu Changjin said "Huh": "If there is such a person, she should be related to Pan Xueliang's case."

Rong Shu thought for a while and said : "I have been away from Yangzhou for many years. When I return to Yangzhou, I will ask for your lord, maybe my old friends in Yangzhou will have heard of this person."

After all, she also wanted to ask about the Shen family and uncle when she went to Yangzhou . , it doesn't take much effort to inquire more about "Feng Niangzi". If it can help Pan Xueliang's case, this trip to Yangzhou will be considered a worthwhile trip.

"Mama Zhang had someone make porridge. I'll have it brought in right now. Lord Gu can rest well after the meal and recover from his injuries as soon as possible. When you arrive at Yangzhou Mansion, you will inevitably be busy again."

Gu Changjin I really feel hungry.

But he was reluctant to let her go, and wanted to hear her talk more, so after Rong Shu said those words, he left the cabin without looking back.

Mother Zhang quickly brought in the cooked porridge.

After Gu Changjin finished his meal, the decoction he took gradually took effect. The moment he closed his eyes and fell asleep, he thought drowsily: Will he still dream? That dream just now... will it continue?

Does she like the cat carved for her?