960 Capsizing (1/2)
Lü Qiying had packed his luggage, and he was planning on fleeing. But when he thought about everything that he currently owned and his dim future career prospects, he was filled with remorse. He wondered why he had been so gullible and had participated in the conspiracy against the Dragon King.
Things were not supposed to have gone in this direction. According to the plan, the Dragon King should have been pressured into handing the Meng family's money over, and he and Xiao Fengchai should have been well on their way to the Loulan Kingdom with numerous gold ingots under the escort of an army. Then, they would stay in the eastern part of the Western Regions and wait for the situation in Jade City to stabilize.
However, it turned out they had been digging a trap beneath their own feet all along.
Given the transportation capacity of Lü Qiying's caravan, ten chests were nothing. But for a refugee, they were still too many. It was a difficult decision for him to make as it was, but he still downsized them to four, each of which would be carried by a camel. This way, he would be able to travel faster.
Lü Qiying had prepared three horses for himself. He would probably have to spend quite a few days on horseback. Even so, he could still use some luck.
The only trustworthy servant he had quietly walked inside and nodded at his master, indicating that they were ready to depart.
A small team consisting of seven animals and two people entered a pitch-dark street through the back door. The owner of the biggest caravan in Jade City was leading the camels himself. If anybody saw this scene, they would surely exclaim in amazement.
Lü Qiying looked over his shoulder at the city and sighed secretly. This was northern Jade City, a place that he had dreamed about entering for years. He spent quite a fortune on this dwelling and had barely enjoyed spending any days in it when he had been forced to abandon it.
Northern Jade City was different from southern Jade City. There were hardly any pedestrians on the streets after night fell. After passing through three streets, Lü Qiying felt slightly relieved. Nobody had shown up to stop him. Maybe the Dragon King hadn't discovered his betrayal yet, which gave him an opportunity to survive.
The chief of the guards at the east city gate silently took out a small leather bag that the servant passed to him, weighed it in his hand, and gauged it to be two hundred taels. This number suggested that this guy was an old hand who was very familiar with the rules. He waved his hand and ordered his subordinates to open the gate and let this small team through.
Traveling the distance between this gate and the rendezvous point was probably the most dangerous part of the journey. On his horse, Lü Qiying constantly urged his servant and the camels to move faster. He even felt the desire to drop another two chests, but he couldn't go to the Loulan Kingdom empty-handed. Money was a necessity no matter where he went.
As horrified as Lü Qiying was, he couldn't help but fantasize about owning the mountain of gold of the Meng family. Unlike the common residents, he had enough reason to suspect that the money hidden in the old mansion of the Meng family was still fake. The Dragon King was a smart man. By no means would he give up on any possible interests for no good reason.
The moment Lü Qiying thought of that icy-faced young man, his heart lurched. He quickly looked around again, paranoid that the Dragon King's killers could be hiding in any of the nearby houses.
As he traveled forward, the houses gradually became sparse and the clouds in the sky scattered, revealing the moon and stars. Lü Qiying was surprised to find that the night could be so bright. When he had still been a tavernkeeper, his tavern had stayed open all night almost every night, but he scarcely left the city after dark.
The servant leading the way turned his head around and said in a low voice, \”This is the place. Right ahead of us.\”
The Rouge Forest in front of them was like a giant beast lying prostrate on the ground with an evil intent. A pang of fear and suspicion stabbed into Lü Qiying's heart. He would rather walk in the wilderness than enter a pitch-dark forest. \”Go and check whether they've arrived or not.\”
\”They\” referred to the people from the Central Plains and Xiao Fengchai. Though Pang Jing hadn't stuck to the plan, Lü Qiying had no other choice but to depend on him for protection.
The servant spurred the horse on and rode towards the Rouge Forest. The urgent clattering of horse hooves made Lü Qiying extremely nervous. The camels were relatively calm, quietly chewing their cud, as if very glad to have a chance to rest.
After a quarter of an hour, the servant rode back. \”They've all arrived and are waiting for you.\”
Having run out of trust in others, Lü Qiying said, \”There was no need to wait. Ask them to come out and set off with us right now. The Loulan Kingdom is in the east, not in the woods.\”
\”Er. Lady Xiao required your presence in the woods. She said that she wanted to consult with you before departing.\”
\”What's done is done. There's nothing worth further discussion.\” Lü Qiying looked at his servant. It was a young face. He could still remember what this face had originally looked like – confused and humble. If it weren't for the fact that he had taken this person in as his servant, he would have been rotting in a ditch somewhere in southern Jade City a long time ago.
\”This was what Lady Xiao said. Please go there, master. I'll handle these animals.\” The servant's voice was just as composed as usual, as if he didn't sense his master's suspicion at all.
\”Alas. I've been good to you,\” said Lü Qiying. He suddenly felt that even the moon and stars had turned dim.
The servant was in a stunned silence for quite a while. \”The Dragon King's been good to you as well.\” After saying this, he urged the horse and rode towards the woods again, yelling, \”Lü Qiying is on the run! Lü Qiying is on the run!\”
Lü Qiying let out another sigh. He did indeed want to flee, but where he could flee to? The people of the Central Plains had merely used him to persuade Meng Mingshu to surrender. Now, he was totally worthless.
This fact was too obvious. Lü Qiying wondered in confusion why he hadn't thought of this earlier.
The clattering of horses' hooves came from behind him. Lü Qiying turned around and saw a team stop in the distance. It seemed as if they were observing the situation on this side.
Lü Qiying's heart lurched. These people were soldiers of the Central Plains. Pang Jing hadn't abandoned him completely. \”I'm-\” he yelled but was soon interrupted.