Nightwatcher

For this speculation, Xu Qi'an was neither surprised nor surprised.

Surprisingly, he always thought that Princess Zhenbei was the No. 1 vase of Dafengtian, and she was still a girl in essence, so she shouldn't be involved in any confidential incidents.

Not surprisingly, he was mentally prepared after realizing that Chu Xianglong was bringing his female relatives with him, and after learning from Yang Yan that the princess was accompanying him.

"Since there may be danger, we have to take countermeasures, and be cautious first. Well, there is no rush now, I am busy with my own business"

Xu Qi'an picked up the cloth bag, placed eight pieces of butter jade on the table, then took out the prepared carving knife and began to carve.

After eating and clothing, the old aunt lay down on the bed and took a nap for a while. She had a shallow sleep and was soon awakened by the loud shouting on the pier.

She beat the pillow a few times angrily, got up and walked to the table, packed the dishes, put them back in the food box, and left the room with it.

Going down the stairs to the second floor, she walked along the corridor, looking left and right at the rooms on both sides. This is the living area for the watchman and the officials of the third division.

She didn't know which room Xu Qi'an lived in, but fortunately, she got her wish and found the room of the lustful Xu Ningyan. Because the door is open.

After Yunzhou came back, the young man with a particularly delicate appearance sat at the table, carving a few pieces of butter jade.

"Boom boom."

She knocked on the door, and when he looked up, she said with a straight face, "I'll return the food box, thank you very much."

It seems that he is not good at thanking things, and when he speaks, his expression is particularly awkward.

"Put it behind the door."

Xu Qi'an responded lightly, lowered his head, and continued with his homework.

The old aunt entered the room, gently put down the food box, and glanced at the table, where there were several carved items, namely a small sword, jade steamed buns (×2), octagonal amulets, seals, and jade pendants.

She asked with interest: "Why are you carving these objects? The knife work is quite ugly."

After speaking, he giggled himself.

"Send the girl." Xu Qi'an said.

The old aunt who delivered the woman stared at the objects on the table, her smile gradually disappeared.

"Every time I leave Beijing, I will send some local specialties to the women who like me, and then write a letter. This will not cost much money, but it will please them and make them like me even more."

Xu Qi'an eloquently talked about his fish farming experience.

The old aunt was so angry that she looked at Xu Qi'an as if she was looking at the dregs of the world, and said with a sneer, "He really is a stinky man."

Xu Qi'an struck down: "It's a pity that you don't have a share."

The old aunt sneered and said, "Who cares?"

Angrily left.

Not long after, all the jades were carved, and Xu Qi'an endowed them with souls.

He first put the "Little Sword" into the fragments of the book, this one doesn't need to be sent, because it is for Li Miaozhen, and Xu Qi'an will give it to her when they get together in the north.

Xu Qi'an spread out the prepared letter paper, fetched pen and ink, and wrote with a pen:

"Half a day away from Beijing, I have arrived in Youyou County. There is a special product called Butter Jade. This jade is soft in texture and warm to the touch. I like it very much, so I bought a rough and carved a seal for His Highness.

There is a word on the seal, which says: When you hold the flowers and smile, the sky is full of sunset clouds. "

This was addressed to Huaiqing, and he stuffed the seal together into the envelope.

The second letter was written to Mount Mounted:

"It's half a day away from Beijing, and I've arrived in Youyou County. There is a special product called Butter Jade. This jade is soft in texture and warm to the touch. I like it very much, so I bought a rough and carved a jade pendant for His Highness.

"I'm a very vulgar person. I see mountains as mountains, seas as seas, and flowers as flowers. When I see you, I only have four words in my mind: Sansheng Sanshi."

He put the jade pendant in the envelope.

The third and fourth letters, addressed to Caiwei and Lina, have the same content:

"Half a decade away from Beijing, I have arrived in Youyou County. There are thousands of delicacies in the world. I heard that in a remote country that cannot be reached, there is a delicacy in the world called "Hu Jianren". When I have a chance in the future, I want to take you to find it. Search all over the world .”

He stuffed the jade-carved steamed buns into the envelope.

The fifth letter was written to Zhong Li:

"It's half a day away from Beijing. When I'm in Youyou County and I'm not in the capital, I have to stay in the underground of the Sitianjian. We have to believe that the days of suffering will eventually pass. If we suffer more and suffer more, everything will be fine again. Flowers bloom in adversity.

"I will be my little public servant in the future, only eat XX and not suffer."

He put the octagonal talisman inside.

Then there are letters from Lingyue and Fuxiang, as well as their belongings.

The sixth letter was written to Lingyue.

"Brother has been away from Beijing for half a day, and has arrived in Youyou County. Brother Wei has a safe journey, but he is a little homesick and misses the gentle and amiable girl at home. When the eldest brother comes back this time, I will make you some jewelry. In Brother Wei's heart, sister Lingyue is The most special, no one can replace."

The seventh letter was written to Fuxiang.

"I forget which great Confucian said that if you have a confidant in life, you will have no regrets in this life. Miss Fuxiang is my confidante. I hope our friendship will last forever, and it will last forever than gold."

Please continue our current relationship!

Every fish has a different message. It is necessary to fully reflect the care and attention to them and make them feel that they are the most important. Absolutely can not be perfunctory.

This is the self-cultivation of a Neptune.

After finishing all this, Xu Qi'an stretched his waist as if relieved from a heavy burden, and looked at the seven letters on the table, feeling sincerely satisfied.

The last time he was on the border of Qingzhou, he also wrote seven letters, two of which were made up by his second uncle and aunt. But now, there are seven letters for girls alone, and eight letters if Li Miaozhen is added.

Xu Qi'an was delighted with the development of his fishpond business.

Keeping the belongings properly, Xu Qi'an left the room, went to Yang Yan's room first, and said in a deep voice: "Boss, I have something to discuss with everyone, how about discussing it with you?"

Yang Yan was still sitting cross-legged, frowned when he heard the words, instinctively resented the interruption of his practice, but still nodded slowly: "Yes."

Xu Qi'an immediately ordered a silver gong to invite Chu Xianglong and the officials of the third department to the room.

Sitting quietly at the table for a few minutes, officials from the third department and Chu Xianglong came in one after another. Naturally, everyone didn't give Xu Qi'an any good looks, and kept silent.

One of the two imperial censors, who is used to being sloppy, said with a smile: "What is Master Xu calling me to wait for?"

"I want to adjust the route and take the land route instead."

Xu Qi'an's words were astonishing, and he threw out shocking news at the beginning.

"This is impossible!"

Chu Xianglong was the first to object, with a firm tone.

With the lesson from last time, he didn't continue to break up with Xu Qi'an, and stood with his hands behind his back, assuming an uncompromising posture.

"Master Xu, don't mess around. We will be able to reach Chuzhou in ten days. If we have to go by land, we may not be able to arrive in half a month." Dali Temple Cheng said:

"Although you are the organizer, you can't do anything wrong and do whatever you want."

With normal instructions, they can accommodate and tolerate Xu Qi'an, acknowledging his status and prestige as the host. But that doesn't include changing course at will.

It is too troublesome to change the waterway to land. Horses, carriages, and transport vehicles have to be arranged. After all, these two hundred or so people eat horses, and it is impossible to travel lightly. That's why the mission chose the faster and more convenient waterway.

Secondly, in marching and fighting, only the top general can change the route. Although the mission is not an army, it is still taboo to change the route.

Chen Butou of the Criminal Department looked at Yang Yan, and said in a deep voice, "Yang Jinluo, what do you think?"

Yang Yan had no expression on his face, "It's really not right."

Even Yang Yan, who was a prisoner, disagreed with Xu Qi'an's decision. It is conceivable that if he insists on going his own way, it will be embarrassing for himself. Even the other watchmen probably wouldn't support him.

"snort!"

Chu Xianglong snorted coldly, and said: "It's nothing, the general will go back first, and there will be fewer such mindless thoughts in the future."

The head of the criminal department took a look at Xu Qi'an, and said: "General Chu, wait a minute, you might as well listen to what Master Xu has to say."

Chu Xianglong turned around and looked at him in surprise.

Being able to catch the head of the Ministry of Criminal Justice is naturally an experienced person. The more he thought about it these days, the more something went wrong. At first, he only thought that Chu Xianglong returned to the northern border with the mission, not only for convenience, but also to "monitor" the mission for King Zhenbei. group.

After all, the case that the mission went to the northern border this time may be against King Zhenbei.

But the more he thought about it, the more he felt that something was wrong. If only Chu Xianglong was accompanying him, and if the princess was also accompanying him, shouldn't it be sending an imperial army to escort the northern border?

Why mess with them?

The boat was full of men, and it was somewhat unreasonable for the prince's first wife to go with them.

The Prime Minister of Dali Temple couldn't help looking at Chen Butou, frowning slightly, then looked at Xu Qi'an and Chu Xianglong, thoughtfully.

Yo, as expected of the head arrester of the Ministry of Criminal Justice, Xu Qi'an, who is much sharper than the civil servants, unfolded the map in his hand, looked at Chu Xianglong, and asked:

"General Chu, why is the princess in the accompanying mission?"

Chen Butou of the Ministry of Criminal Justice, the two censors of the Metropolitan Procuratorate, and the Prime Minister of Dali Temple all looked at Chu Xianglong in unison.

Xu Qi'an's question revealed the doubts or curiosity in their hearts.

"Wangfei went to the northern border to meet with Duke Huai, what's the problem?" Chu Xianglong narrowed his eyes and stared at Xu Qi'an sharply.

He knew this matter well from everyone who was on a different boat. There is no need to hide it, as long as you leave the capital quietly and no one will know, your goal will be achieved.

"I am the chief officer of the mission, why didn't I receive the notice before?" Xu Qi'an asked again.

Chu Xianglong said indifferently: "It's just a trivial matter. The princess takes the route to go north, and her status is noble, so it's better to keep a low profile."

"Since the concubine has a noble status, why don't you send a team of imperial guards to escort her?"

At this moment, Butou Chen suddenly asked.

"That's right, the official boat is full of fish and dragons. If you know that the princess is going out, you have to prepare another boat." Dali Temple Cheng said with a smile.

"No, it's not right." A censor frowned.

This group of old foxes, Chu Xianglong, glanced at the officials of the third division, feeling annoyed.

A few days ago, they also showed hostility towards Xu Qi'an, and secretly expressed their kindness to themselves. However, once they encountered something that might be unfavorable to them, their attitudes immediately became ambiguous.

Seeing that Chu Xianglong was silent, Xu Qi'an sneered, looked around at the crowd, and said:

"As Chen Butou said, if the princess is going to the northern border to reunite with Duke Huai, then His Majesty will directly send the imperial guards to escort her. It is not necessary to secretly mix with the mission. Moreover, she has kept it a secret from us. My lords, Did you know beforehand that the princess was on board?"

Dali Sicheng and the two censors shook their heads.

Xu Qi'an said again: "Then do you know what this means?"

The Prime Minister of Dali Temple hurriedly asked, "Master Xu, you have something to say."

Xu Qi'an said loudly: "This means that there may be danger, such as an ambush, an ambush targeting the princess."

The two censors, the prime minister of Dali Temple, frowned and turned serious.

Chen Butou of the Ministry of Punishment did not change his expression, as if he had expected this for a long time.

Seeing this, Chu Xianglong knew that if he continued to deny it, he would only betray his relatives, so he hummed:

"The concubine's trip to the north does have another purpose, but Xu Qi'an doesn't need to be alarmist. Even you don't know about the concubine's departure from Beijing, let alone others?

"The ambush also needs to be prepared in advance. We are going all the way north, taking the fastest water route, and the princess's accompanying matter is kept secret. How could we encounter an ambush?"

Dali Sicheng and others nodded slowly, thinking that what Chu Xianglong said was reasonable.

It was only after they set off that they discovered that there were female relatives on board, and later they gradually realized that there was Princess Huai among the female relatives. Even they didn't know about this until after they set off. Just imagine, how could the possible enemies be ambushed?

It's too late.

"A false alarm, a false alarm." Dali Si Cheng let out a breath, his complexion improved.

Xu Qi'an laughed and said: "My lords, don't be impatient, listen to me and think about it later."

Then he moved his gaze to the spread map, pointed to something on it, and said, "At the speed of the ship, we will pass here by tomorrow evening at the latest."

Everyone walked to the table and looked. It was a fast-flowing river basin, narrow and surrounded by high mountains on both sides.

"Here, if someone really wants to ambush on both sides of the bank, we can't turn around quickly because of the turbulence of the water, otherwise we will be in danger of overturning. The high mountains on both sides have become obstacles for us to go ashore and escape. They just need to ambush in the mountains manpower, we can wait for us to throw ourselves into the net. In short, if there is an ambush along the way, it will definitely be here."

Xu Qi'an's words made everyone tense up again after they had just relaxed.

Chu Xianglong stared at the map for a moment, and retorted: "The premise of all this is that there is an ambush by the enemy, and as I said just now, the enemy has no time to set up an ambush in advance.

"As long as we get through here, we will be able to reach Jianzhou within ten days, and we will be greeted by the prince's army at that time, and we will be done. If we go by land and wait for half a month, it will be a long night with many dreams."

The two sides insisted on their own words and could not stop arguing.

Dali Sicheng and the others hesitated. Both sides had reasons, but both had disadvantages. It didn't feel safe to choose any one.

Then I will give you another fire Xu Qi'an sneered and said:

"Going by land is a long night and dreamy, but there is still room for maneuver. If we encounter an ambush here tomorrow, the entire army will be wiped out and there will be no chance."

The expressions of the two censors and Dali Sicheng immediately changed.

"I agree with Mr. Xu's decision to change the route." Chen Butou of the Ministry of Criminal Justice said first.

"I also agree with Master Xu's decision, prepare quickly and change the route tomorrow." Dali Si Cheng immediately echoed.

The two censors also chose to support Xu Qi'an, because his words hit the vital points of the civil servants. Compared with the land route that may be more troublesome and tiring, the waterway that is wiped out in waves is more daunting.

No one dared to gamble with their lives.

Chu Xianglong's cheek muscles twitched, furious in his heart, he stared at Xu Qi'an fiercely, and said: "Xu Qi'an, I want to gamble with you, what if I don't encounter an ambush in this river basin tomorrow?"

Xu Qi'an pressed his hands on the table, not letting him look at each other: "From now on, you will have the final say on everything about the mission. But what if you encounter an ambush?"

Chu Xianglong said: "You say one, I will never say two."

Xu Qi'an curled his lips, and said disdainfully: "Now I say one, do you dare to say two? Don't come here, and give me some benefits."

"what do you want."

"Three thousand taels of silver, and the camp record of the northern guards."

"good."

Chu Xianglong agreed without hesitation, but he thought in his heart that he would regret it at that time. When it came to the northern border, he still had the final say. There are soldiers and generals under his command, and King Zhenbei supports him.

Xu Qi'an sneered and said, "Leave written evidence."

Chu Xianglong bit the bullet: "Okay, but if you lose, you have to give me three thousand taels of silver."

The two sides have established written documents, but did not draw a pledge, and have to wait for the results tomorrow.

Xu Qi'an turned to look at Yang Yan, and said in a negotiating tone: "Boss, you take the boatman to test tomorrow, how many people can you take away at most?"

Yang Yan thought for a while and said, "Six."

The six people obviously couldn't steer the boat, but Yang Yan could only take six people away. If there was an ambush tomorrow, the rest of the boatmen would be dead. When Xu Qi'an was in a dilemma, he heard Yang Yan say:

"Tomorrow I can use the air engine to push the sails and steer the boat, so I don't need a boatman to paddle. I just need a few people to steer the boat."

With the level of the boss, it shouldn't be a problem to control the ship for a short time. He let out a breath of foul air from the bottom of his heart: "Okay, let's do it like this."

After the plan to change the route was finalized, the officials of the third department and the unwilling Chu Xianglong immediately went to prepare for the disembarkation and informed the guards, female relatives and other accompanying personnel on board.

Xu Qi'an did not leave, but sat at the table, took a sip of tea, and analyzed: "If there is no ambush tomorrow, it means that the so-called enemy does not exist, or it is too late to set up an ambush.

"In this way we can breathe a sigh of relief, and if the enemy does not exist, even if Chu Xianglong has the final say in the mission, the problem will not be a big problem. At most, we can bear him for a few days."

The bet is not a matter of will, even if there is no such bet, Xu Qi'an would privately ask Yang Yan to take a test boat tomorrow.

Yang Yan nodded: "But if there is an ambush"

"Then we will be in trouble. Before we reach the northern border, we will blame that princess first." Xu Qi'an sighed and lowered his voice:

"If the situation is so bad, I have a plan, boss, I only consult with you"

next morning.

A team of two hundred people left Butter County, four carriages, eighteen flatbed carts loaded with supplies, and forty horses.

As for the soldiers brought by the imperial army and Chu Xianglong, they ran forward.

The team headed north along the official road amidst the dust.

"If there is no ambush on Yang Yan's side, then after two days of land journey, we have to change the water route again. The land route is really tiring, and the boat and car are tiring." Xu Qi'an sat on the horseback, muttering to himself.

The horse under the crotch is an ordinary brown horse, far from being comparable to a filly.

At this time, he saw the curtain of a carriage behind him lifted, revealing an ordinary face, waving at him.

Xu Qi'an turned his horse's head, walked slowly to the side of the carriage, and said with a smile, "Auntie, what's the matter."

"Why do you want to go by land instead." She sat in the slightly bumpy carriage.

"For the safety of your concubine." Xu Qi'an said.

She thought about it, but she didn't argue subconsciously. Instead, she nodded cautiously, expressing her agreement with the reason.

at dusk.

Liushi Beach is so named because of the rapid current that even stones can be washed away.

The green hills on both sides are arched, and the width of the river is as wide as a woman's slender waist, with the sound of the water and the splash of white foam.

A huge three-masted sailboat slowly approached, went upstream, and reached the middle of the flowstone beach. The turbulent water surface suddenly raised waves, and a thick object covered with black scales arched and sank into the water again.

After a few seconds of silence, there was only a bang, and the huge three-masted sailboat was set off high.

Amidst the gushing water, a black-scaled dragon broke through the waves, its horns embedded in the bottom of the boat, and lifted it into the air.

"click click click"

Cracks spread all over the hull in an instant, and the large official ship, which could carry more than 200 people, fell apart, and the pieces crashed down.

The moment the boat was set off, Yang Yan used his qi machine to engulf the six boatmen and rise up into the air. The powerful qi machine exploded under his feet, pushing him up and up, and swept away.

Jiaolong plunged headlong into the bottom of the water, splashing white foam, and after a while, a man in a black robe emerged from the water, standing on the water.

He has feminine features, a hooked nose, narrow and long eyes, vertical pupils, the flowing pupils are cold and ruthless, and fine scales grow on both sides of his cheeks.

The man in black robe glanced at the pieces of broken wood washed away by the water, snorted, and said in a cold voice, "I was tricked."

"They can't escape."

From the dense forest on the shore, a young man came out, dressed in white, standing with his hands behind his back.

The man in white was not angry or disappointed because of the failure of the ambush. He said calmly: "We have dispatched enough people this time. With only a fourth-rank Yang Yan, it is difficult to beat four hands with two fists. The princess is in our bag." things."

The black-robed man frowned and said, "Are you sure there are no other four ranks in the mission?"

The man in white nodded, pointed to his own eyes, and said, "Trust my eyes, besides, even if there is a fourth rank, with our deployment, we will be safe."

PS: This chapter has a little more words, so it was not updated on time. If it is not updated on time in the future, it means that the number of words will increase, which can be regarded as compensation for you.

Thanks to the leader of "Don't make it difficult for me_" for the reward.