wait a minute

Chapter 431 Departure
It was almost midnight when we returned to Chengtian Mansion.

Ye Jingtang silently jumped into the corridor on the second floor of the inn. When he looked up, he saw birds walking and watching on the fence. Their backs were melancholy with a hint of loneliness. They whispered "coo-coo-coo-coo-chi-chi", probably saying - —The sunset is on the grassy bank of An'an.There are no birds to wear flowers, no birds to encourage wine, and no birds to care about drunkenness...

Ye Jingtang shook his head secretly, came over and fed a few pieces of dried meat, and then came to the door of the room to check.

The lights were still on in Yunli's room, probably because he had a fight with the grandmaster in the afternoon and was beaten black and blue. He realized the difference between himself and did not play around at this time. He stood in the room holding a long knife and closed his eyes. His eyes were motionless, he must be comprehending the 'sword intention'.

As an expert in playing with knives, Ye Jingtang naturally understood what Yunli was doing and did not disturb him.After standing at the door for a moment, Yun Li opened his eyes and began to make moves, then raised his hand and knocked on the door:

dong dong~
When Zhe Yunli heard the knock on the door, she quickly sheathed her sword and turned around to open the door:

"Cousin Jing, why did you come back? Why did you change your clothes? You are dressed like a rich man... Ouch~"

Ye Jingtang raised his hand and flicked Yunli's head, and then threw his belt to her:

"I just went to find a job as a guard for the Hua family and went to Beijing with me. Where is Aunt Fan?"

Zhe Yunli took the sign and looked back and forth: "Aunt Fan just finished taking a bath and went to bed. Which Hua family is this? It can't be related to the Miss Hua who visited our house last time, right?"

"You're quite smart, that's her. Her grandfather used to be a grand master, and happened to go to the Imperial College to study, so he can help. Will you follow me to Washington to be a maid, or will you follow me behind?"

Zhe Yunli thought about it for a while: "I will definitely follow, otherwise what would I do if I came out? The guards must have family members. If you don't say that I am your wife, the Hua family can't not even let their family members take care of them, right?"

?

Ye Jingtang thought this proposal was a good one, but the reality did not allow it. He pointed to the word 'B' on the back of the sign:

"I'm a low-class servant. I have food and lodging included. Where can I take my family with me? Miss Hua has met you once and knows you. You can just use your name as a maid, and you don't have to actually serve tea." Water warms the bed.”

Zhe Yunli is indeed not very good at serving others, but after thinking about it he still said:

"If you want to do a job, you have to look good. Even if you are disguised as a maid, you have to be flawless so that no one will notice. Okay, just be a maid. Cousin Jing, just watch the arrangements."

Ye Jingtang nodded and took the sign back:

"I have to go to Washington to report tomorrow. It's too late, so go to bed early."

Zhe Yunli had a fight with the grandmaster in the afternoon. Because he didn't fight well, he was humiliated in front of Ye Jingtang and Aunt Fan. Now he wanted to be angry and strong. Hearing this, he said helplessly:
"I lay down and thought about my moves for the afternoon. I always wanted to practice them. I couldn't sleep at all, otherwise I would scare my cousin..."

dong dong~
Ye Jingtang was quite considerate. He raised his hand and imitated Ning'er, tapping Yunli's back twice to help her fall asleep.

Zhe Yunli's body swayed slightly, his eyelids gradually became heavy, and he murmured speechlessly:

"I mean to practice with me..."

plop~
Before he finished speaking, his body fell down.

Ye Jingtang shook his head secretly, caught Yunli and laid him down on the bed, covered him with a thin quilt, and then turned around and walked out of the room.

squeak~
After Ye Jingtang closed the door, he listened carefully for a while. After making sure that Yunli was asleep, he went to the next door and opened the door gently.

In the next room, the lights have been turned off. I have just taken a bath in the room, and there is still a faint fragrance of flower soap in the air.

Qing He, who had a proud figure, was lying on the pillow in red pajamas. Bo was pulled to his chest. He must have been awakened by the conversation just now. He was not asleep. He was looking up at him with slightly wary eyes:

"Why did you make Yunli fall asleep?"

Ye Jingtang closed the door and came to the bed:
"Yunli can't sleep, so I just want to help. I just went to the Hua family to apply for a guard, and then ran to Huangmei County to meet the people from the Qinglong Society..."

Fan Qinghe saw that Ye Jing'er was reporting on his work in an upright manner, so he interjected:
"You are a man. You can arrange these things yourself. What do you want to say to me? I'm going to bed. Please go back to your room."

Ye Jingtang had a smile in his eyes and raised his hand to rub his shoulders:

"I just ran back and forth for more than 200 miles, and I'm tired..."

"You rub your legs when you're tired from running. Why are you rubbing your shoulders?"

"Uh... are you swinging your arms while running? I have an old injury on my shoulder, and I still don't feel completely healed."

How could Fan Qinghe not understand Ye Jingtang's thoughts? She was speechless when she saw the man crawling under the covers when he had the chance. She wanted to harden her heart, but she couldn't resist Ye Jingtang at all. After taking a few deep breaths, she finally turned over. He faced inwards and said no more words.

Seeing this, Ye Jingtang naturally understood what he meant. He took off his shoes, lifted up the quilt and lay down behind his back. He raised his hand and found that Qing He was wearing a light nightgown with nothing underneath. He must have just taken a shower. Run.

Fan Qinghe found that Ye Jingtang had hit the vital point, he frowned slightly and looked back:
"Don't mess around."

Seeing this, Ye Jingtang took out his fingers, slid them up along the gauze clothes to the front of his body, and held his conscience:

"By the way, in Huangmei County just now, the Qinglong Club mentioned you."

Fan Qinghe Xue Ning'er pretended to be reluctant. After hearing this, he opened his eyes again and looked back slightly confused:
"Why did you mention me?"

"I said I wanted to go to the palace to steal a knife. The Qinglong Society asked me to hire a master. They said that the Thief Saint was not easy to contact, so I could only hire Ghost Hand Li or something..."

"They should invite the witch, that's called the Saint of Thieves... Phew~..."

As soon as Fan Qinghe said a few words, he felt numb and numb, and his tone was unsteady. He stopped talking nonsense at the moment, just closed his eyes and let the patient make the medicine on his own...
-
Hoof hoof hoof...

Under the silvery moon in the sky, a fast horse galloped across the street and arrived near the Red House where brothels and gambling stalls were gathered.

Situ Yanfeng dismounted from his horse, handed the reins to his assistant, and quickly entered the room. He came to a room in the elegant courtyard at the rear, raised his hand and knocked lightly at the door:

dong dong~
"Prince Prince?"

There were constant chatter in the room, as well as the sound of rolling dice. The doors and windows were closed so that no one could see the scene inside.

Just as Situ Yanfeng was about to take a look through the crack in the door, footsteps came closer, and then the door opened, revealing a noble man dressed as a scholar, holding a folding fan, and with a hint of drunkenness on his face:

"Master Situ, why are you here? Why don't you come in and have a drink?"

"Hey, Mr. Wang, you're so polite. Situ came here because he has something important to do. How about we go and talk next to him?"

The young master who came out was named Wang Jiwen. He was the direct grandson of the Wang family in the west of the city. He was also the nephew of the current royal concubine. He was close friends with the third prince, and his status was not ordinary.

After hearing what Situ Yanfeng said, Wang Jiwen went out with his folding fan and sat in the teahouse next door, playing with the tea sets:

"Do you have any clues about the matter entrusted to you?"

Situ Yanfeng didn't sit down either, but stood beside him to help make tea:
"The person has been found. We have arranged to go to Washington today and become a bodyguard..."

Wang Jiwen was slightly unhappy when he heard this:

"Why don't you bring it over for me to take a look at? Although Hua Qingzhi has disabled legs, she is extremely talented. Even the Holy Emperor has heard of the title of the most talented woman in Yanjing. How can you impress her if you just find a crooked melon and cracked jujube? Your heart?"

Situ Yanfeng smiled apologetically and said: "Don't worry, Master, the person I'm looking for is absolutely reliable. Although his appearance is half as good as Master's, in the entire Chengtian Mansion, he can be said to be one in a million, and he's also eloquent and sensible. I'm going to go today." When hiring an escort, he was chosen by Miss Hua as soon as he came to the door and even before there was a competition.

"I didn't bring it here for the Young Master to see, because of the Young Master's reputation, and for fear of leaking the news. The Young Master wants to see you, and you will naturally be able to see it when you get to the Imperial College. If you think it's not possible, I won't pay Situ a certain penny..."

When Wang Jiwen saw Situ Yanfeng's breasts slapping loudly, he didn't say anything. He took out the banknotes from his sleeves and put them on the tea table:

"I'm naturally relieved that Head Situ is doing something. But this matter is rather urgent. Hua Qingzhi has found the medicine and her leg will be cured soon. If the Holy One is interested in establishing a Crown Princess, you should be aware of the consequences."

"Young master, what do you mean?"

"This matter needs to be pushed forward, such as arranging someone to rob the road, and asking the person you find to be a hero to save the beauty..."

"?"

Situ Yanfeng heard this bad idea and quickly waved his hand:
"I'm afraid that won't work. The person we're looking for is quite skilled in martial arts. Hua Junchen seems to be following him, arranging people to act in the show. Basically, he never comes back. No one will take this job..."

Wang Jiwen folded his fan and clapped his hands lightly: "We have gangsters everywhere in Beiliang, why do we need to act? There are a few gangsters in Xiagou County who are engaged in kidnapping, but the government has not caught them yet. You are so well-informed, you should be able to find someone... …”

Situ Yanfeng frowned: "Master, do you mean to use them and let them die to gain merit for the people we are looking for? I'm afraid this is against the moral principles of the world..."

Wang Jiwen took out another banknote and put it on the table:

"Those people are Xiaoxiao who kidnap meat tickets to bring trouble to the people. Head Situ is working secretly. To get rid of them with the help of the Hua family is an act of great justice..."

Situ Yanfeng wondered: "That's true, but if those gangsters are not dead and one or two come back, Situ will be wiped out..."

Wang Jiwen sighed and took back the banknote:

"Wealth is sought in danger. Since Master Situ doesn't dare to earn this money, that's all. Come on, go to the city and call Mr. Li..."

"slow!"

When Situ Yanfeng saw that Wang Jiwen was going to find another dental shop, he quickly held down the banknote and gritted his teeth and said:

"Situ is doing this, but at the risk of ruining his reputation and killing his whole family, Mr. Wang can at least add some money."

"Oh, isn't this right..."

……
-
The next day.

The sun had just risen over the mountains, and the doors of the Washington Palace on the outskirts of the city were already wide open. The maids and servants carried boxes of various sizes onto the carriage.

On the stone road outside the gate of Washington, three figures were walking forward on foot. Ye Jingtang was wearing a green robe and a small hat, with a single sword hanging on his waist. He was dressed as an ordinary guard and walked at the front.

Qinghe, who had been worked hard all night, looked very good. Because he was the only one favored by his husband, he had not recovered at this time, and his eyes were still a little wandering.However, her current disguise is that of a poor woman from Huangmei County. She only wears a coarse cloth dress and a floral scarf to cover her appearance. She looks ordinary and inconspicuous.

Zhe Yunli was also dressed quite simply, with braids, because her oval face was already small, and she looked like a wild girl from the [-]th Five-Year Plan, and she said suspiciously while walking:

"Cousin Jing, after you put me to sleep last night, you took me to the bed and laid me down?"

"Otherwise, can you still go there by yourself?"

"I was awake at the time. He didn't do anything to you. He took off his shoes and covered himself with quilt and went out."

"Oh~ I know that Cousin Jing is a knight, so I didn't think blindly. I'm just worried that I won't sleep well..."

……

Niaoniao couldn't disguise himself, so he could only huddle in the package and be held by Yunli, because Niaoniao was sleeping in the morning, so there was no movement at this time.

When they arrived near the gate of Washington DC, Ye Jingtang saw Manager Wang in the distance, standing at the door with a roster. Under the steps were more than ten guards, standing with their backs straight, taking roll call:
"Liu Wu."

"To!"

"Hua Ying."

"arrive!"……

Seeing this scene, Ye Jingtang turned around and said:
"You guys wait here. Lu Zhu will take you in to change clothes later. Just follow Lu Zhu's arrangements. I will report first."

Fan Qinghe's mind was filled with the absurdity of last night, and he was a little absent-minded. He just nodded, while Zhe Yunli had a strange look in his eyes and whispered:
"Cousin Jing, are you really worthy of being a servant?"

"Hey, a real man can bend and stretch, it's just a disguise. I'll go there first."

After Ye Jingtang finished speaking, he quickly walked to the gate of Washington DC.

Manager Wang took the list and called the names. When he saw Ye Jingtang running over, he put the book down:

"Hua An, the rules of the house are that every morning at a quarter, you have to gather in front of the door and ask the foreman to call your name and assign errands. If you are late, you will be fined three yuan. Since you don't understand the rules when you first come here, you will be exempted this time. You won't do it next time."

Ye Jingtang came to stand next to several guards and nodded:

"clear."

Manager Wang glanced at the twelve guards with his hands behind his back and continued:

"Miss last night ordered us to set off for Yanjing after breakfast today. The 12 of you are the accompanying guards. We will go with Hua Ning and will not come back until the Mid-Autumn Festival. If there is any inconvenience, please tell me now. Miss's safety is more important than anything else. Don’t make trouble along the way.”

The twelve guards present, except Ye Jingtang, were all long-term employees of the Hua family, so they naturally had no objections to the arrangement of the family head.

Seeing this, Manager Wang nodded:
"Okay, let's go eat. Hua An, come with me."

Ye Jingtang stepped up the steps, came to Manager Wang's side, and asked:
"Do you have any orders from Manager Wang?"

Manager Wang didn't say anything. After entering the door and turning around the screen wall, he cupped his hands and said:

"Master, people are coming."

Ye Jingtang looked up and saw that there were many landscape trees planted in the spacious courtyard behind the screen wall.

Hua Junchen, wearing a civil robe, holding a sword, was practicing swordsmanship in the middle of the crosswalk. The swordsmanship is "Wandering Bee Sword", the specialty martial arts of Huayan Pavilion in Beiliang. It is famous for its agility and agility, and is well-known in Beiliang. .

However, Hua Junchen's attitude in Ye Jingtang should belong to the 'paper armchair school', that is, he does a lot of theoretical research and looks very professional in all aspects, but he follows too much dogma and lacks spirituality.

Most of the time this happens for the same reason as Benben - he is envious of others with his talent and resources, but due to his status, he basically has no chance to take action. During the competition, the opponents are also very careful and will not fail to respect their martial ethics, resulting in He obviously has high martial arts skills and a solid foundation, but has zero actual combat experience. If he encounters a life-and-death fight in the arena, he may not even be able to defeat someone in the arena who is a little weaker than himself.

After Manager Wang finished his salute, he found that the new guard was as motionless as a piece of wood and looked at the master up and down. He suddenly became annoyed and reminded:
"Hua An!"

"Oh."

Out of martial arts habits, Ye Jingtang secretly studied Uncle Hua's fancy fists and embroidered legs. He really forgot his identity. Hearing this, he quickly raised his hands and saluted:

"This is the first time I have seen such a profound swordsmanship. I hope you don't blame me for being distracted for a moment."

Hua Junchen comes from a wealthy family and has been fond of martial arts since he was a child. Now in his 40s, he has become quite famous in Chengtian Mansion. Although in Ye Jingtang's view, he is a young bird with no experience in the world and limited practical ability. But no matter how weak he is, his foundation is still here, and he can still be considered a master in the arena.

At this time, Hua Junchen was practicing the most handsome swordsmanship in the entire Northern Liang Dynasty. His body skills were very elegant and agile. He was not even half-step martial arts master, and there were no flaws at all. For this reason, he was convinced by Ye Jingtang's admiration. .

sassy-

After finishing a set of "Wandering Bee Sword" in a cool way, Hua Junchen put the sword behind him, pressed down with one finger of his left hand, and assumed a masterful sword-holding posture, and his voice was full of immortality. :

"I'm young, but I have good eyesight. I have been practicing martial arts for many years, and I have dabbled in both northern and southern martial arts. I know more than just this kind of advanced martial arts. If you have any questions about martial arts in the future, you can ask questions. If you have a good understanding, He works hard and won’t hesitate to teach you a thing or two.”

Naturally, Ye Jingtang didn't complain about Uncle Hua, and followed the words:

"Thank you for your appreciation, Master."

Hua Junchen didn't know why, but he found Ye Jingtang pleasing to the eye, as if he was an old friend he had known in his previous life, with a sense of déjà vu.He nodded and said:
"What moves did you learn?"

There were too many night terrors in the hall, so he responded:
"In Zajia Kungfu, I am better at swordsmanship. I have learned Breaking Edge Knife before."

Hua Junchen nodded and said: "The Breaking Blade is a military formation sword technique, and most border warriors have practiced it. However, this sword is easy to learn but difficult to practice. Show me the sword and let me see how it is heated."

"..."

Ye Jingtang sighed secretly, stepped forward slowly, and took off the saber he bought casually from his waist. He wanted to show off his flaws with a few tricks and make Uncle Hua happy.

As a result, before he could take action, a grunting sound came from the veranda behind.

Ye Jingtang raised his eyes and saw that Luzhu was running very fast pushing the wheelchair and came directly from behind to kill him.

Hua Qingzhi was sitting in a wheelchair with a look of annoyance on her face. Seeing Ni's father conspicuously showing off in front of Wu Sheng so early in the morning, she wanted to say something but couldn't explain clearly, so she could only lecture her from afar:
"Dad, why are you messing around with the guards again? Mom told you to pay attention to your identity. If you do this again, I will file a complaint with Mom!"

Hua Junchen frowned when he heard this.

After all, he was just giving pointers to the new guard, not venting his anger on the guard in the name of sparring. Before he could take action, his daughter hurried over to protect him. Was he really attracted to this wild boy?
However, the daughter wanted to complain to her mother, and Hua Junchen couldn't say anything, so he had to give up in anger:
"When a martial artist practices martial arts, how difficult is it for him to get advice from an expert? Qingzhi, from now on, these words must be said in private. Hua An, don't worry too much. I'll give you some advice when you're on the road."

Hua Qingzhi was pushed to the side of the courtyard. Seeing that her father was still pretending to be a master in front of the Martial Saint, her toes were arched in embarrassment, and she said again:
"Dad, why don't you come to Beijing this time? Mom will be so depressed at home alone..."

When Hua Junchen heard this, he really felt that his daughter had lost her rules. He went with her because he was afraid that the cabbage would be taken over by this wild boy. If he didn't follow, he was afraid that he would have to become a grandfather directly in a few months. He said seriously at the moment:

"The situation is so serious now. If you go to Beijing alone, if dad doesn't follow you, will your safety depend on the newly recruited Hua An?"

How about not?

Hua Qingzhi felt that her father was following, and there was one more person holding Young Master Ye back, but she couldn't say this clearly, so she said:
"Dad, let's go back to the back house to say goodbye to my mother and grandfather. We will set off immediately."

When Hua Junchen saw his daughter like this, he really felt that a woman was not staying in the right place. He shook his head and left with his hands behind his back.

After Hua Qingzhi saw her father go away, she turned to look at the yard:

"Steward Wang, go make arrangements and set off after dinner. Hua An, come and help me move my things."

Seeing that Uncle Hua was gone, Ye Jingtang was relieved. He came behind Hua Qingzhi and helped push the wheelchair:

"Leaving this morning?"

Hua Qingzhi sat back in the wheelchair. After walking a little and there were no other servants around, she sighed softly:
"Young master is busy in the capital to do business. As a weak woman, how can I dare to delay..."

Ye Jingtang shook his head and smiled: "Thank you very much. The two friends I brought are waiting outside the house, and Bird Bird is also there. Can you help me make arrangements?"

Hua Qingzhi had planned it last night, and now she turned around and said:

"Luzhu, you go and bring the guests in. You can look at the arrangements for their identities. When we set off, ask them to follow me in the carriage. If the master asks, you can tell me that the cook or maid I asked you to find is Xue. The eagle was also just bought.”

"okay."

Seeing this, Lu Zhu nodded quickly and ran out.

Hua Qingzhi waited until Luzhu left and then said:

"Dad has been a martial artist since he was a child and likes to compete with others. It's just because of my affairs that my mother won't allow him to do this. He can only come here privately with the guards. Don't laugh at me..."

Ye Jingtang said: "Being obsessed with martial arts is a good thing for Jianghu people. Uncle Hua was born into a wealthy family by mistake. If he were a Jianghu person, he would definitely be a real expert. How could I laugh at him?"

Hua Qingzhi knew that her father was powerful, but she still shook her head and said:

"The world is nothing more than fighting and killing. As a daughter, how can you want your father to lick blood all day long? In fact, it's the same with you. You are so smart and have a good literary talent. If you pursue an official career, you will definitely be able to get ahead. You will be out there all day long. Fighting and killing, I'm often in danger, I can't say anything, but how can your confidante not be worried."

Ye Jingtang sighed: "There are things before us, we have to do them. We can only wait until we are done..."

……

The two of them chatted casually and soon arrived at the back of the house.

After all, Ye Jingtang had the identity of a bodyguard, so he couldn't take Luzhu's position to serve him personally, so he helped the maid and servant move various objects onto the carriage.

As the legitimate daughter of an aristocratic family, Hua Qingzhi would not just carry a small package when she went to the capital to study. She packed a carriage with just musical instruments, chessboards, pens, ink, paper, inkstones, etc. There were also clothes, calligraphy and paintings, and other messy things, as well as Hua Junchen The local specialties brought to the princes and nobles were all prepared and packed into five carts.

There were even more followers. Hua Qingzhi brought a personal maid, and there were twelve remaining guards. Although Hua Junchen was very skilled in martial arts, as the eldest son of a wealthy family, he could not open his own way, and he also had guards with him. , plus the servants, stewards, and maids, there are about forty people in total.

After finishing cleaning up, Ye Jingtang pushed Hua Qingzhi to the gate of Washington DC and moved the wheelchair into the large carriage; Hua Qingzhi was helped by the maid to get into the carriage.

Fan Qinghe and Zhe Yunli, after being dressed up by Lu Zhu, turned into the accompanying cook and maid. They were taken into the carriage behind by Lu Zhu, because there were indeed many people, and Lu Zhu was The eldest lady's confidants and servants naturally didn't ask any questions.

Mrs. Hua really loved her granddaughter. At this time, she came to the door with a cane and told her various things.

Hua Junchen's wife was obviously reluctant to let her daughter and her husband leave home. Her eyes were red, but her tone was fierce, and she told Hua Junchen not to hang out with the warriors.

After Hua Qingzhi and his daughter said goodbye to their families, the team set off directly.

As a second-class guard, Ye Jingtang naturally couldn't sit on the young lady's carriage. At this time, he was riding on a horse, walking to the left and right of Hua Ning, next to Hua Qingzhi's carriage.

Hua Ning suddenly bumped into Lord Yama yesterday. He seemed to have not recovered yet. He was sitting with his back straight. He was visibly nervous, but he didn't dare to show it.

Gollum...

Soon, the motorcade left the Hua family's manor and entered the official road where carriages and horses traveled back and forth.

Hua Junchen knew from his personality that he was not someone who could sit and live. After staying alone in the carriage for a while, he saw that he was far away from home, so he raised the curtain of the carriage and wanted to call Ye Jingtang to come over and continue giving him some martial arts lessons.

But before he opened his mouth, he suddenly noticed a furry round head looking out by the car window of the girl in front of him.

Hua Junchen was taken aback and poked his head out of the car window:
"What a fat bird, where did this come from?"

"grumble?!"

Niaoniao had just been woken up by the lame sister and was observing where this was. When he heard this, he immediately became furious.

Luzhu, who was in the carriage, quickly hugged Niaoniao in and responded calmly:
"My lady was shopping yesterday. I bought it casually on the street. I also hired a cook and a maid. I was busy in the morning and forgot to tell the master."

As the legitimate son of a noble family, Hua Junchen naturally didn't care about hiring a cook or maid, because he was bored in the car, so he said:

"You are a rich man, what does it sound like to catch a fish and walk with a bird? Bring the bird over and show it to your father."

Hua Qingzhi didn't dare to show Mr. Ye's battle pet to her father, so she responded:
"This bird is afraid of being born and doesn't dare to see people. I won't show it to dad until it's mature."

Hua Junchen felt that this girl was simply wasted, so he had no choice but to pull the curtain, lean on the carriage and take a nap...

(End of this chapter)