SFS Chapter 446 The two brothers finally emerged
Chapter 446 The two brothers finally emerged
"Miss, I have something to discuss with you."
On the tenth day of the voyage, Ah Qi finally couldn't help but come up to me.
Jing Chunxi was not surprised at all. According to their original estimate, they should be able to reach Jian'an City, the capital of Jian'an County, in just over two days. It was time to start planning.
Seeing Ah Qi coming in, Chuntao tactfully pulled the frost and stood outside the door silently.
"Miss, the captain told us that we can reach Minqing County tonight. After passing Minqing County and entering Jian'an City, there is only one last checkpoint left. He asked us if we need to go in and do some shopping." Ah Qi's voice was neither loud nor low, and his tone was steady, but Jing Chunxi could hear the caution in it.
He always raised key questions at critical moments, and this time was no exception, but this time he did not reveal his intentions, probably because he wanted to hear what she thought.
As Ah Qi finished speaking, Chun Tao heard the report from outside: "Miss, the two Masters Tao are here."
Ah Qi stopped talking and looked at Jing Chunxi. He was not surprised by the two men's arrival. In fact, Ah Qi had already guessed the identities of Cheng Rui and Cheng Zhi.
With Ah Qi's skills and his acumen from his time in the Iron Eagle Camp, it was impossible for him not to be suspicious of the people who suddenly appeared and moved into the Tao Mansion, especially the two young men living in the main courtyard. Even out of concern for the young lady's safety, he would investigate thoroughly.
Because of his suspicions, Ah Qi became alert the night Aunt Wei and her family moved into the Tao Mansion. He even stayed up all night to send someone to keep an eye on the family.
There was already about 60% suspicion before, but the exact time when the identities of the two were confirmed was in the early morning of the next day, when the family was offering sacrifices in the Tao family ancestral hall in the backyard.
At that time, he was hiding on the roof opposite and could see that the ancestral hall was brightly lit with candles and filled with incense. The two people kneeling on the ground in front of dozens of tablets were Cheng Rui and Cheng Zhi.
At that time, the two were extremely sad and cried bitterly. They were kneeling from beginning to end, and only moved their knees to add wine and tea to the deceased one by one.
Aunt Wei and her family of three could only prostrate themselves and kowtow in front of the threshold of the ancestral hall. They could not even enter the hall. Aunt Wei fainted from crying outside several times.
Therefore, Ah Qi had long known that the brothers Chengrui and Chengzhi must be descendants of the Tao family, and Aunt Wei must be a married woman.
It was after this incident that he demanded that all his subordinates treat them with courtesy and be unguarded when they entered and left.
Looking at the attitude of the young lady towards them, he knew that they must be people that the young lady and Young Master Tao valued, so although he did not delve into the reasons, he never neglected them.
"Let them in." Jing Chunxi responded.
Cheng Rui and Cheng Zhi came in and saw Ah Qi already in the room. They were not surprised and the three of them even exchanged greetings. They were originally next door and came over after hearing the noise.
The three of them looked at Jing Chunxi, wanting to hear her speak first. But Jing Chunxi waved her hand to Cheng Rui, "We're not from the same place, and we all have the same goal. Brother Cheng Rui should speak first. There's no need to be shy."
It was the first time Jing Chunxi called Cheng Rui like this. Normally, she would just say whatever she wanted to say, without even using a name for them. Cheng Rui was a little surprised and flattered to suddenly be called "brother." Even Cheng Zhi looked up at her in surprise.
Cheng Rui, who had already sat on the bed, stood up, bowed, and respectfully called out, "Sister Chunxi." Cheng Zhi followed suit, bowed, and also called out, "Sister Chunxi."
It's impolite to do so.
Jing Chunxi could only stand up and bow respectfully to the two brothers. But Chengzhi never got the words he wanted: "Brother Chengzhi." He couldn't help but feel a little disappointed.
After the three of them sat down again, Cheng Rui stopped being polite and got straight to the point: "We just heard from the boatman that it's less than two hundred miles from here to Jian'an City. We just think we should make some plans in advance. Only by having a plan and taking precautions can we ensure that nothing goes wrong."
Chengrui's tone was gentle, but a sense of responsibility lingered between his words. He knew that he and Chengzhi held special positions, and he understood the importance of Jing Chunxi's trip. Therefore, he wanted to do his part and offer advice on the trip. He also wanted to ensure a smooth meeting with his cousin Xiaokang.
Seeing that several people were still staring at him, they seemed to agree with what he said and wanted to hear him continue. Cheng Rui said, "Since the soldiers guarding the checkpoints in Jian'an County have changed their uniforms, our people should not try to be different and should adapt to local customs."
As he spoke, he pointed at Ah Qi's military uniform. Ah Qi tugged at his sleeves and the hem of his clothes without saying a word.
In fact, Ah Qi and Jing Chunxi both felt that what he said made some sense.
They had passes, so they didn't necessarily need clothing to prove their identity. However, if there were no soldiers in uniform inside or outside Jian'an City, their entry would be very abrupt and too conspicuous. So, now was the time to change into uniform casual clothes, which would not only preserve their status, but also facilitate their actions and not be too conspicuous.
"Also, can this boat be kept at the dock of Jian'an City for a long time? What will the boatmen do after the boat docks? Does Miss have any plans?" Cheng Rui raised his own questions again.
This question hit the nail on the head and made a lot of sense, but it made Jing Chunxi frown slightly.
The boat issue is indeed a key one.
If such a large ship was left at the dock for a long time, it would easily attract the attention of the government and the garrison. If the boatmen moved around freely, it would be difficult to ensure that some of them would not talk nonsense and expose their identity cards or whereabouts.
However, Jing Chunxi had given it some careful thought. Even if the three of them didn't come over, she still had to consider these issues in advance.
Stopping at the next stop was the first step she had already thought of.
However, she was still hesitant about how to enter Jian'an City. Therefore, she had not yet come up with a specific plan for the boatmen's arrangements and felt that she needed to wait a while.