Chapter 173: Unwilling to Give Up

  Although she was perplexed in her heart, Shen Muqing didn't have the mood to see Chang Hui.

  "Tell Master Chang, Kyoto is in a precarious situation now, let him think of a way to leave the city!"

  The little servant went out at the sound of his voice.

  The two of them were interrupted like this, and the atmosphere was a bit more lively than before.

  Shen Zhen advised Shen Muqing: "I'll go ask again."

  Shen Muqing also knew she was making things difficult for Shen Jian, but she was more worried about Xiao Sa.

  Heaving a sigh, Shen Muqing walked out of the study.

  She raised her eyes and saw Chang Hui.

  He was walking back and forth in the yard with his head down.

  The little servant saw and hastily explained: "I told him to leave, but he refused to go."

  Chōei, who had heard the noise, was already looking this way.

  Shen Mu Qing was taken aback for a moment.

  Chang Hui's expression was serious and cold, without any of his original ease and casualness, as if he had become a different person.

  She suddenly thought of the scene when she first met Chang Hui at Liu Niang's house that day, with his sharp eyes.

  Shen Mu Qing stepped quickly towards Chang Hui.

  "What's so difficult about it?"

  Chang Hui bowed from a distance, and when she approached, he said in a low voice: "Miss, everything at my home has been settled. If you don't mind, I'll go help you find Xiao Gongzi."

  She was stunned for a moment, then overwhelmed by boundless joy.

  "What did you say? You'll help me find Xiao Gongzi?"

  Chang Hui nodded, his expression solemn: "I've been in the northwest for nearly twenty years, and I'm very familiar with the passes there. I've arranged for Eldest Sister and my two nephews to be taken care of. I'll help you find Xiao Gongzi."

  "Come with me."

  Chang Hui smiled and nodded, following Shen Muqing into the study.

  The daughter brought a short man back and forth, Shen Zhen was very surprised, and came over to greet him.

  "What's going on?"

  Shen Mu Qing pulled on Shen Zhen's sleeve: "Master Chang said, help me find Xiao Sa."

  Chen Zhen stared at Chang Hui in shock.

  Chang Hui nodded and recounted his experience: "I can speak Mongolian, and I have some Mongolian friends. However, I've never met Xiao Gongzi before, so I need a portrait of him."

  Before Shen Zhen could speak, Shen Muqing had already turned around and called for a servant: "Bring in Manager Pang."

  Shen Zhen gazed at his daughter and spoke in a soft tone.

  From Wanping to Datong, thousands of miles away, and what's more, it was a person he had never met before, which made it even harder than finding a needle in the ocean. Seeing Shen Muqing treat Chang Hui as if he were a lifesaving buoy, the words that were on the tip of his tongue were swallowed back down.

  Let's just comfort ourselves for now!

  Pond's treasure arrived soon.

  Shen Muqing excitedly told him about it. Pang Debao couldn't hide his excitement, and was very respectful to Chang Hui: "Master Chang, please follow me, I'll find a painter to draw the young master's appearance for you."

  Tong Hui smiled and nodded.

  They paid their respects to Shen Zhen and left in a string of carriages.

  "I hope we can find it!"

  The next day after Chang Hui's departure, the Yuan-Mongol army encountered the Liaodong army on its way to Beijing to defend the capital. After a night of fighting, the Liaodong army finally forced the Yuan-Mongol army to retreat fifty miles.

  Everyone in Kyoto let out a sigh of relief.

  The city gate was wide open to welcome Dai Shenghui.

  Dai Gui retreated from Huaiyuan with a defeated army, and when he reunited with his father Dai Shenghui, the 80,000 troops he had led out had dwindled to just 6,000 men. Among them were also 1,500 people from Gansu.

  Dai Shenghui gazed at these soldiers covered in blood and exhausted, tears streaming down his face.

  These are all his own men!

  The Kyoto officials who had been silent all along looked at the scene in front of them and thought of their fellow students and colleagues who died in Datong, and suddenly someone shouted "It's all Wang Yan's fault for the country". This sentence, like a fuse, ignited the anger that people had hidden in their hearts for so long. The officials rushed into the Xihua Gate without caring about anything, and beat up any eunuchs they encountered.

  The Jin Wang, who was in charge of supervising the country on behalf of the Emperor, turned pale with fright and only knew to pull at Wang Shengyun's sleeve, "What should we do, Your Excellency? What should we do?"

  Wang Shengyun smiled coldly and looked at Hu Xin, one of the two remaining Grand Scholars in the Imperial Cabinet, saying: "Grand Secretary Hu, in my opinion, we can only calm down public outrage by dealing with Wang Gonggong's accomplices."

  Before Hu Xin could respond, the King of Jin had already spoken repeatedly: "The official's words are extremely reasonable. Send someone to arrest all of Wang Gonggong's accomplices and throw them into the imperial prison."

  Hu Xian, with a head full of white hair, gazed at Wang Shengyun's resolute face and smiled faintly, almost imperceptibly. He clasped his hands together in respect towards the King of Jin, "Then please, Your Majesty, quickly dispatch someone to capture Wang Yan's accomplices! If this matter is dragged out any further, I fear..."

  The unspoken words made King Jin shudder, and he hastily said: "Yes, Wang Gong Lao, everything is up to you. I'm just in charge of supervising the country."

  Wang Shengyun bowed respectfully to the King of Jin and then turned and left.

  Shen Zhen sat cross-legged on the heated kang by the window, gazing out at the old locust tree with its leaves stretching out, his eyebrows knitted into a "川" shape.

  Zhou Bai Mu, standing in front of the kang, looked at Shen Mu Qing who was serving beside him with some embarrassment.

  Shen Mu Qing dynasty nodded slightly and smiled: "Bai Mu, there's nothing else to see here, you can withdraw first!"

  Bai Mu glanced at Shen Zhen, seeing that he didn't say a word, then bowed to the Shen father and daughter before retreating.

  Shen Muqing watched as Bai Mu walked out of the courtyard, then refilled Shen Jian's teacup and sat down slowly beside him: "Sir, are you worried that Wang Ge will take this opportunity to eliminate dissent?"

  Shen Zhen turned around, his face solemn as he gazed at Shen Muqing, and replied evasively: "I'm afraid Kyoto will fall into our hands." As he spoke, his eyes sparkled with a hint of tears.

  "It won't happen!" Shen Muqing comforted Shen Zhen, "You see, isn't Dai Shenghui coming to Beijing to offer his services? And there's also the traitor Zeng Ju who fled in fear, as well as the governors of Guizhou and Yunnan, Sun and Zhao, they will all come to offer their services. The capital won't be in danger!"

  "Distant water can't help with a fire nearby."

  Shen Muqing looked at Shen Zhen with a firm gaze and nodded: "I will definitely arrive on time!" She encouraged her father.

  Just then, a voice came from outside: "Master, everything is packed up!"

  Shen Zhen patted Shen Muqing's hand: "Muqing, go"

  Shen Mu Qing shook her head: "I won't go, I'll stay here with Master and let Chen Niang leave. Once we're out of the capital, have someone escort her to Zhou Shan Da She, she's still there."

  "Shen Zhen smiled lightly: 'Foolish child, this is not the time to talk nonsense. If you don't leave now, there won't be another chance. You go, and Chen Niang also goes, all of you go together! Take advantage of this opportunity, all of you leave! As long as I am in Kyoto, that's enough.'"

  The eyes were all reluctant to part.

  Shen Muqing's tears fell silently.

  "I won't leave, and you shouldn't drive me away. I understand in my heart that you want to coexist with Kyoto, just as I do with you. With you, there is me; I'll stay by your side until the end of time. We can be together as a family."

  "Stupid child, if Xiao Xiao comes back and can't find you, what will happen?" Shen Zhen said, holding back tears.

  "He also has his own parents, unlike me. If you're gone, it's just a lone wild goose. Let Aunt Chen go, she'll be buried in Taicang later. You and I will go to Xiangshan to find the wife."

  "Furthermore," Shen Zhen forced a smile, "you still have a long life ahead of you to give birth to children and enjoy the support of your descendants. This is where my wife and I will settle down."

  "I won't leave" Shen Mu quietly fell to her knees and began to sob "When Madam left, she told me to take good care of you, I won't leave, I'll stay by your side and serve you"

  The British outside the curtain also burst into tears.

  "Grandma won't leave, I won't leave either."

  For a time, both inside and outside were filled with cries, the atmosphere was sorrowful.

  The door curtain was suddenly lifted, and Chen Yiniang walked in with a pair of reddened eyes.

  She knelt in front of Shen Zhen: "Master, let Madam go! I'll stay here with you!"

  Shen Zhen looked at Shen Muqing with tears streaming down his face, his eyes filled with sorrow and pleading. He then glanced at Chen Niangniang, who was weeping with her head bowed, and thought of Xiao Sa's uncertain fate. If he were to pass away, his son would still have a mother, but his daughter would be left without anyone to rely on. He let out a soft sigh and called for Bai Mu: "Take Chen Niangniang out of the capital!"

  Aunt Chen heard this and burst into loud sobs.

  "Everything at home is left to you now."

  Aunt Chen nodded tearfully.

  "Don't cry!" Shen Zhen said in a low voice, "I have something to tell you."

  Aunt Chen nodded tearfully.

  Shen Zhen called Zhou Bai Mu in again: "You all listen."

  Everyone's expression turned solemn, including Shen Muqing, who stood quietly in front of Shen Zhen.

  "After Da She, he lived in the Min family and studied at the Min family school. When he grew up, he married a woman from the Min family." As he spoke, Shen Zhen's eyes fell on Chen Yinniang.

  Madam Chen nodded repeatedly: "Don't worry, sir. I will make sure that Da She goes to the Min family to study and marry a daughter of the Min family."

  Shen Zhen nodded in satisfaction and looked at Bai Mu: "You are no longer a servant of the Shen family now, just send Chen Niang to Zhoushan and you can go wherever you want"

  His words were not yet finished, when Bai Mu "thudded" and knelt in front of Shen Zhen: "Master, rest assured, I will take good care of my brother and sister-in-law."

  "Suit yourself!" Shen Zhen smiled, "If you really have the heart, then find a way to transport my and Auntie's corpses to Xiangshan and hand them over to the Li family, that would be my last request!"

  Bai Mu burst into tears: "Master"

  "Go! If you're any later, you won't be able to get out of the city gate!"

  The sky gradually darkened.

  Shen Mu Qing gazed at the large red lantern swaying in the wind under the eaves of the house, and shouted to Ying Fen: "Although there's no one home, we can't just walk around in the dark like this. Let's go light up all the lanterns."

  Ying Fan smiled through tears: "Alright, let's light the lanterns and go."

  Two old men who were also unwilling to leave heard this and hastily laughed, saying: "Young lady, slow down and wait for us too."

  Four people were busy for half a day before they finally lit up several lanterns near Shen Zhen's main house.

  Shen Mu Qing panted heavily: "I didn't think it was a big deal normally, but lighting lanterns is so tiring."

  An old man with a gray head smiled and said, "After all, young lady, you can't calm down. Think back to when we followed the master in Sichuan, those barbarians surrounded our county government office, and those officials were so scared that they hid in their offices and didn't dare come out. Only our master lit a lamp and continued to read official documents as usual. We all said that our master was like Guan Gong reincarnated - isn't it said that Guan Gong reads under the lamp? So we weren't afraid at all."

  If it weren't for this special occasion, how would Shen Muqing have recognized these two old men and known the impression of Shen Zhen in other people's hearts?

  She walked back and forth with Ying Fen, laughing and saying: "You old man, tell me again, what was Master like in the past?"

  Another old man chuckled and said, "If the young lady wants to hear stories, there will be plenty of time later. Tomorrow morning, go buy some chickens, ducks, fish, and meat, and stock up thoroughly, that's the proper thing to do."

  "You're absolutely right!" Shen Muqing smiled and said: "I haven't been through all this. Look, what else do we have to do tomorrow?"

  Everyone says goodbye and laughs as they walk further and further away

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  Chapter 173: Unwilling to Give Up