Hidden in the court

Chapter 116 I have a plan

"Let Princess Changle and Li Yi resign from their posts as Junior Supervisors. Princess Changle and the Crown Prince will go to the State of Jin today to celebrate the birthday of the King of Jin. Li Yi will take up his post in the Ministry of Justice on a certain day."

Nangong Lin looked at Nangong Xiao and Hu Die below with a smile.

This was just for others to hear. Ji Liancheng was only forty years old now. The birthday banquet could be held, but it was still a bit far-fetched to say that the emperor specially sent the prince and the princess to celebrate his birthday.

"I want you to check the situation at the King of Jin's place. Stay there for a few more days and do your best. Even if you can't find anything, you must ensure your safety."

Sending these two people over, firstly, sending his son to someone else's hands can make Ji Liancheng relax his vigilance. Secondly, Hu Die has martial arts skills and can protect Nangong Xiao at a critical moment. Thirdly, well... it's not something that can be told to outsiders...

"Yes!"

Hu Die and Nangong Xiao left the palace. What was quite surprising was that Nangong Xiao actually came up to them.

"Does the princess have any countermeasures in mind?"

Seeing the worried look on Nangong Lin's face, Hu Die felt a little better. At least this boy was not too stupid.

"What? At most he can just ambush us, intimidate us, and trip us up. Can he kill us?"

Nangong Xiao was a little confused. He said it so easily. He was not afraid because of his good martial arts skills. But he still said boldly: "If King Jin was prepared, would we still investigate like this?"

This sentence finally made Hu Die stop, and she looked at him with an unhappy face: "Then your highness has an idea, what do you say we should do?"

"I have a plan..."

Then, Nangong Xiao began to tell Hu Die in detail what he was thinking. As he spoke, a look of surprise gradually appeared on Hu Die's face.

By the time she finished speaking, Hu Die's face showed a hint of admiration and a hint of suspicion.

"It's a good idea, but can you do it?"

After all, the man in front of him looked gentle and frail. He had fought with him not long ago and was so weak. Could he really hold on?

Now, Nangong Xiao felt a little embarrassed, his face turned red, and it took him a long time to utter a word.

"I... I'm actually not as weak as you think. I can do it..."

These words were so unconfident that Hu Die couldn't help frowning after hearing them. However, looking at Nangong Xiao's sincere look, she really couldn't bear to say anything to criticize him.

In the end, Hu Die chose to believe him and said, "Forget it, I'll just trust you for a while."

……

The next day, the morning sun shone on the earth, illuminating a golden color. On the streets of the capital, a huge team was marching slowly.

The team consisted of more than a dozen carriages and was guarded by hundreds of guards. Each carriage was loaded with heavy boxes filled with exquisite silks and jewels, which showed how precious the gifts were.

These carriages were going to the Prince of Jin's Mansion to celebrate the Prince of Jin's birthday, so they attracted the attention of many people. They stopped to watch and talked about it.

"So many carriages, what are they going to do?"

"I heard it was to celebrate the birthday of King Jin..."

"Happy birthday? What the hell? What the King of Jin is thinking is as clear as Sima Zhao's heart, and everyone knows it. Why are you still wishing him a happy birthday?"

As soon as he said this, he was blocked by the young man next to him.

"Brother Guo, please be careful with your words, be careful with your words..."

The person traveling with him stretched his neck and looked in one direction while talking.

Following his gaze, I saw a man in a black robe walking towards me from a distance. His figure astride a tall horse looked even taller, with a handsome face and a unique temperament exuding from his body.

This person was none other than Ji Mingshang, the prince of Prince Jin. The corners of his mouth were raised wantonly, with a strange light flashing in his eyes. People cast strange glances at him one after another.

"Look, that's the Prince of Jin!"

"I wonder if he will go to congratulate Prince Jin in person on his birthday?"

Facing everyone's gaze, Ji Mingshangxiao smiled slightly, then drove his horse to catch up with a carriage that was the farthest behind.

Ji Mingshang took out a document and said, "Your Majesty has ordered that this car be delivered to my residence."

The driver looked embarrassed, "My Lord, this..."

Ji Mingshang had already thought of an excuse, and he spoke without hesitation: "This is the handwritten letter of His Majesty. Besides, I am the prince of Jin. It is the same to give it to Jin and to me. Stop talking nonsense and send it to my home."

The driver looked helpless, and finally, at the signal of the entourage, he left the team and went to Prince Jin's Mansion.

"The one in front, what are you waiting for? Send it to my house too!"

After Ji Mingshang's search, the team was finally able to set off again. The whole team was majestic and looked like a swimming dragon, which made people feel extremely majestic.

In this way, the team that came to celebrate the birthday of King Jin marched out of the capital city and headed for the State of Jin.

An unknown ravine

Nangong Xiao, wearing coarse linen clothes, and Hu Die, who had put on a mask, each riding a poor horse, looked like ordinary passers-by.

"We can take the mountain road, which will always be faster than the convoy."

They walked like this for several days, sleeping in the open, using the sky as a blanket and the ground as a bed, and they traveled all the way regardless of wind or rain. Nangong Xiao was the first to show signs of fatigue. In the afterglow of dusk, his thin figure looked particularly heavy. Sweat was dripping from his face, and the yellow earth covered his face. He no longer had the ease he had before. At this moment, he looked a little pale due to fatigue, and his lips were a little dry. Although his eyes were still firm, they were no longer as clear as before, and revealed an indescribable turbidity and fatigue.

His back was bent, as if he was suffocating under the weight of an invisible burden. He was on the horse's back, bouncing slightly with the horse's pace, and every ups and downs seemed to increase his physical fatigue. His hands tightly grasped the reins, with veins bulging, as if he was making a final struggle against fatigue.

The crossbow horse seemed to be tired from the days of traveling, and its steps became heavy and slow. The horse's hooves made a dull sound, which was in sharp contrast to the natural sounds that were gradually fading away.

The air was filled with the stench of earth and the fragrance of grass and trees, but none of this could conceal the exhaustion of the two men and two horses.

This was particularly hard on Nangong Xiao, a weak scholar. His breathing became heavy and rapid, and every breath seemed to consume the remaining strength in his body. Sweat slid down from his forehead and nose, dripping onto the horse's back and instantly absorbed by the fur. His clothes had long been soaked with sweat and stuck tightly to his body, making him feel even more uncomfortable.

Hu Die on the other side was much better, but she was also struggling. In order to avoid complications, they avoided all the big cities, only walked on mountain roads and ate dry food. With Nangong Xiao's small body, it would be strange if he didn't collapse.

"Let's take a break and go down the mountain later. There is a small county at the foot of the mountain. It won't hurt to rest for a day."