kvmb Chapter 763 Let's proceed according to plan
Chapter 763 Let's proceed according to plan
Lu Yangyang was anxious and wished she could sprout wings and fly to Qingzhou immediately, so she didn't want to delay for even a moment and had to leave.
Sheng Junyao called out to her, "Yangyang."
Lu Yangyang turned her head. "Hmm?"
"Be careful," Sheng Junyao cautioned anxiously. "Find out the situation first. If it's not as we suspect, don't show yourself. Go straight back to Beijing."
If this matter is a trap, or if He Jingze did it intentionally, then someone must already be eyeing Yangguan City. That's why Sheng Junyao had Lu Yangyang and Hongyu travel light to avoid attracting the attention of those with ulterior motives.
But speculation is just speculation. The truth will only be known after Lu Yangyang arrives in Qingzhou. In any case, we must not act rashly, lest we fall into a trap.
Lu Yangyang understood his meaning and nodded to Sheng Junyao, "Don't worry, elder brother. Qingzhou is not far from the capital. When I get back, I will send someone to inform my second brother first. Judging from the time, if he has already left Jinzhou, he has probably returned to the capital. If we can make it in time, we may be able to meet up in Qingzhou."
Half a month ago, Lu Yangyang received a message from Sheng Junyi. They had already left Jinzhou. Zong Que's current condition prevented him from easily entering the capital, but just in case, he should be somewhere not far from the capital. She couldn't confirm his whereabouts. However, Sheng Junyi had most likely already returned to the capital. Sheng Junyi had only a reputation for being charming and beautiful in the capital before, so even if he returned openly, he wouldn't attract attention. And as long as he was back in the capital, her message should be able to reach Sheng Junyi before Lu Yangyang arrived in Qingzhou.
Sheng Junyao mentally estimated the time and nodded to her, "That's good, be careful in everything."
"Okay." Lu Yangyang responded, then tightened the reins and quickly drove away.
Sheng Junyao was not idle either. He immediately found someone to arrange for Lu Yangyang to leave the city, and ordered people to keep a close eye on Yangguan City to see if they could find any hidden spies.
Lu Yangyang quickly packed her things, changed into women's clothing, and left Yangguan City overnight with Hongyu without even saying goodbye.
A few days later, He Jingze, who had already left Tongzhou City, finally met the person he was waiting for.
"Are you sure Su Fengqu has entered Yangguan City? What does Sheng Junyao have?" He Jingze, with a thick beard, and his group disguised as镖师 (bodyguards/escorts), stopped at the post station. The person who answered him looked travel-worn, clearly having traveled a long way.
“Su Fengqu did enter Yangguan City, but it was difficult for our people to track him down inside the city. We could only find out that he went to the General’s Mansion, but Sheng Junyao did not return to the city for those two days.”
He Jingze frowned upon hearing this: "No one returned to the city? Then have any unidentified persons left the city? Yangguan City has strict checks on people coming and going. If someone secretly left the city, their tracks would be easily discovered."
The person who answered shook his head: "Everything is normal. We haven't found any suspicious people. However, our men saw two women at the post station. They came from Yangguan City. We don't know what they were doing there. They separated quickly."
"Two women?" He Jingze's face grew even more grim. "Even if Sheng Junyao were out of his mind, he wouldn't send two women to handle this matter. It seems he's still too cautious."
"Boss, what should we do? Should we continue to send people to keep an eye on Yangguan City?" a subordinate asked.
He Jingze shook his head: "There's no time. Let's stick to the plan and keep going."
"Yes."
...
Lu Yangyang and Hongyu traveled a long and arduous journey, barely daring to stop. When they were extremely tired, they would ride together, taking turns leaning on each other to rest for a while. Finally, after a few days, they arrived in Qingzhou safely.
Before dawn, Lu Yangyang looked at the city gate not far away, her eyes slightly sore from exhaustion. She hadn't expected to return to Qingzhou so quickly, or even so late.
When she first left Qingzhou for the capital, she thought that once she had avenged herself and established herself in the capital, she would return to Qingzhou as soon as possible to catch up with her old friends. As the saying goes, one should return home in glory. If she could make a name for herself outside, returning to Qingzhou would also be considered a triumphant return, and she would certainly have a good time showing off to her old friends and acquaintances.
She originally thought she would return in two or three years.
Unexpectedly, more than four years have passed since then.
And so many things have happened in these four years.
Seeing Lu Yangyang gazing absently at the distant city gate, Hongyu comforted her, "Don't worry, young lady. There are already people queuing up to enter the city. We'll be able to enter when it gets light."
Qinghe Village is just a small village at the foot of Qingyuan Mountain within the jurisdiction of Qingzhou Prefecture. It is two days' journey from Qingzhou City, but if they ride horses at a fast pace, they can arrive at the earliest tomorrow morning.
However, the military command is located in Qingzhou City. If there is any delay, it will be at least noon tomorrow before we can reach Qinghe Village.
Even though Lu Yangyang was extremely anxious, she could not act rashly.
"What day of the month is it today?" Lu Yangyang suddenly asked.
"August 13th, young lady, is there a problem?" Hongyu subconsciously looked over.
“August 13th…” Lu Yangyang murmured softly, then suddenly stopped. “Qingzhou holds a lantern festival every Mid-Autumn Festival, and every household has the custom of hanging lanterns at night. The town is especially lively on that day. If the other party must choose a time, August 15th, the day of the lantern festival, is the best choice. Whether it is disguised as a bandit or an accidental fire, it is the best time.”
"If I'm not mistaken, there's still time." Lu Yangyang thought to herself, but she didn't dare to relax. "We'll split into two groups. You go to Qingyuan Town and find a butcher named Liu. Give him money and go with him to the village under the pretense of buying pigs. Remember to disguise yourself as a worker and don't let anyone notice anything amiss. Go and come back quickly, and don't linger. See if any strangers enter the village in the next two days. Once you've confirmed it, leave immediately. I'll go to the military command to ask for support. We'll meet at the clinic in town tomorrow at noon."
If the matter is true, the best time for the other party to take action is the night after tomorrow. However, she needs time to investigate and cannot act rashly before confirming the facts. She also cannot directly mobilize the military force of the military command to alert the enemy. Therefore, she needs to make arrangements in advance to make it in time.
"Don't worry, young lady, I will definitely complete the mission," Hongyu replied immediately.
The city gates opened quickly, and Lu Yangyang and Hongyu entered the city. They immediately split into two groups: Hongyu went to Qingyuan Town, while Lu Yangyang headed straight for the military command.
Unfortunately, Huo Lin was away on official business and was not at the command post.
After pondering for a moment, Lu Yangyang inquired about Huo Lin's residence and appeared outside the Huo residence a quarter of an hour later.
Coincidentally, before she even knocked on the door, she saw a maid hurriedly leave the mansion, as if something had happened.
Lu Yangyang quickly stepped forward to stop the person, "Excuse me..."
"Miss, I have something urgent to attend to, please make way!" The maid didn't even look at Lu Yangyang, and looked anxious as she tried to avoid her.