Hidden Shadow – CH 161

Chapter One-Hundred-Sixty-One: The Feng Family’s Ship

Later, Yelu Huangwu returned to the Liao court, and Cui Yichen abandoned his family and country to follow her alone.

It was because she distrusted the Song people and because she knew Cui Yichen would never agree, yet she still insisted on using the Cui family.

Today, Yelu Huangwu was filled with regret and grief, but Ning Yanli knew that if everything could start over, this woman would still walk the same path. To bring the Cui family under her control, she could not avoid Cui Yichen. As the most talented martial arts prodigy in the Cui family’s history, no matter how devoted he was to martial arts, he could not stand idly by if someone wanted to harm the Cui family.

Yelu Huangwu foresaw that she and Cui Yichen would become enemies in the future, so she made him forget his past and become a martial arts fanatic.

From beginning to end, only Cui Yichen naively believed that their identities were not an obstacle.

Looking at the grave mound, Ning Yanli could not help but feel a sense of shared sorrow. She grew up with Yelu Huangwu, and their bond was somewhat different from others. Yet, despite this, her fate was unlikely to be much better.

Her obsession with medicine was not entirely out of love, but because she knew that only by becoming a useful person could she live a longer life.

“Have you found Mo Sigui?” When Ning Yanli came to her senses, Yelu Huangwu had already wiped away her tears and returned to normal, only the slight redness in her eyes proving her recent sorrow.

“I heard he’s in the Konghe Academy.” Ning Yanli had been searching for Mo Sigui for a long time. She had previously learned he was staying at the Hua family’s residence, but before she could find an opportunity to approach him, he had entered the Konghe Academy.

“He’s still alive and kicking, proving that the poison you inflicted has already been cured.” Yelu Huangwu gently stroked the cloth wrapped around her hand, lowering her eyes and speaking softly, “Song Kingdom truly is a place that produces talented people.”

“So many talented people, yet they are all suppressed by us.” Although Ning Yanli said this, there was no hint of contempt in her tone.

Yelu Huangwu asked, “Is he avoiding you?”

“No, he would not avoid challenges in the medical field.” Ning Yanli had only met Mo Sigui once, but had been observing him for a long time. Therefore, she understood his character to some extent. “The Ghost Shadow sent word that it is because of two women.”

“Two?”

“Yes, Lou Mingyue from the Lou family and Mei Ruxue from the Mei family.”

Yelu Huangwu knew Lou Mingyue quite well, as she was the most promising of the younger generation in the Lou family. “Mei Ruxue is…”

“Fourteenth Young Lady, also known as Mei Jiu, as the madman mentioned.” Ning Yanli clearly knew that as long as she said “Fourteenth Young Lady,” Yelu Huangwu would understand, but she deliberately brought up the madman again and quickly glanced at Yelu Huangwu.

It was not to hurt her. She just wanted to prove that Yelu Huangwu was still a person with feelings. She did not know what the point of doing this was, but she could not help herself.

Yelu Huangwu had a faint smile on her lips, as if she could see right through her.

Ning Yanli’s heart tightened, and she lowered her head, making no further action.

“I will give you six months. If you cannot win over Mo Sigui nor poison him, I will send Ghost Shadow to deal with him.” Yelu Huangwu stretched out her hand, stopping on the blank tombstone. “Someone like him, if he refuses to submit, must not be allowed to live.”

If Mo Sigui were to retire to the mountains and become a carefree physician, Yelu Huangwu would not necessarily want him dead. But the Konghe Army could not have such a person.

She narrowed her eyes, thinking of the two people she had seen on the ship. One of them, capable of firing a swift bowstring, must be Fourteenth Young Lady. The other was a big guy…

If they had not timed their attack perfectly, things would not have slipped out of her control; it seemed like a casual decision. But there were many things to consider when launching a sneak attack near Bianjing. Yelu Huangwu vaguely sensed she had met her match…

The moon sank in the west, and Yangzhou was shrouded in emerald green.

An Jiu sat against the wall, while Chu Dingjiang, sword in hand, leaned against the window, observing the dock through a crack.

Time seemed to stand still inside the room.

As dawn broke, Chu Dingjiang shifted his position and turned to say, “Go to bed and get some sleep.”

An Jiu shook her head.

“Seven months to go. You are not planning to keep sleeping like this, are you?” Chu Dingjiang asked.

“What’s the problem?” In the past, with advanced surveillance technology, even the deepest hiding places could be exposed at any time. Therefore, she had to be vigilant at all times. Let alone seven months, she had slept sitting in a chair or on the floor for years. If it were not for Mei Jiu, she would have forgotten what it felt like to sleep in a bed.

Chu Dingjiang gave her a deep look, then stepped forward and led her to the bed.

An Jiu knew he meant no harm, so she did not resist.

“With me here, not even a fly can get in,” Chu Dingjiang said, placing her on the bed. “Sleep peacefully.”

After lying down, her muscles automatically relaxed. This feeling was both comfortable and worrying for An Jiu. If she got used to this relaxed state, it would be troublesome later…

Chu Dingjiang wanted to say something more, but in the blink of an eye, he saw that the person who had just been so serious about sleeping sitting up was now asleep!

He chuckled and bent down to take off her shoes.

An Jiu was a light sleeper. She could feel Chu Dingjiang’s movements but did not open her eyes.

She slept soundly. When she woke up, it was already late noon the next day.

The room was filled with the aroma of food. An Jiu got up, put on her shoes, and sauntered to the table to sit down.

Chu Dingjiang silently handed her a cup of tea.

An Jiu rinsed her mouth, sniffed the bowl of porridge in front of her, and ate a few mouthfuls.

Chu Dingjiang picked up a steamed bun and brought it to An Jiu’s mouth. She took one bite, and only after confirming that everything was alright did she slowly begin to eat the rest.

After quietly finishing her meal, An Jiu asked, “Is the dock closed?”

“Yes,” Chu Dingjiang replied, sitting upright with his arms crossed. “I observed it all night and did not find anything suspicious.”

He did not doubt An Jiu’s intuition, but it looked like an extremely ordinary dock.

Knock!

Chu Dingjiang coughed in response.

Outside, the attendant’s voice carried a fawning smile: “Esteemed guests, a guest has checked out. Would you like to take the room?”

“Come in,” Chu Dingjiang said.

The attendant pushed open the door and entered, bowing slightly as he asked, “What can I do for you, My Lord?”

“Is the dock closed?” Chu Dingjiang asked knowingly.

“Yes, both ships were unloaded overnight,” the attendant hurriedly suggested. “I noticed no new cargo ships are docking over there, so it should be quieter tonight. If that’s the case, this room is excellent; it has a river view, and the wind is strong and cool at night.”

“Then stay another night.” Chu Dingjiang tossed him a sum of silver, then asked, “Whose dock is this?”

The attendant clutched the large piece of silver and quickly stuffed it into his sleeve. “It’s the Feng family. The Feng family is extremely wealthy in Yangzhou, starting in the shipping business. They’ve been in business for three generations, and their docks cover the entire Song Dynasty’s waterways. Besides that, they also have seafaring ships that specialize in collecting rare and unusual items and selling them in various places. I heard that trinkets they can get for a foot of inferior silk can sell for tens or even hundreds of taels of silver in Bianjing. How could they not be rich!”

Having received his due payment, the attendant became particularly dedicated, speaking with great enthusiasm, “The head of the Feng family’s boat company is called Feng Fang, a very shrewd man. However, because of his philanthropy, the people of Yangzhou call him ‘Great Philanthropist Feng’; the second-in-command is Great Philanthropist Feng’s younger brother, Feng Hang. Feng Hang is also capable, but he’s prone to womanizing; the third-in-command is called Qin Zheng…”

“The third-in-command is an outsider?” Chu Dingjiang interrupted him.