Chapter 24: Rising Internal Strife
Early the next morning, Luo Jin and Chai Qi left the palace in the same carriage. They were both silent along the way. Luo Jin dared not speak, and kept her head down as she muttered in her mind. Although they were both princes, this crown prince was completely different from the second prince. How could the second prince, who was so gentle, have such a cruel brother?
After leaving the palace, the carriage stopped, Chai Qi got off the carriage. Luo Jin lifted the curtain to look outside.
A carriage was parked in front and two people got off the carriage. One was Mister Shi whom Luo Jin had met before, and the other...
Luo Jin rubbed her eyes, why was it him?
Didn't he die?
She couldn't resist getting off the carriage and walked up to the man.
"You are... Little Xiaoyu?" Luo Jin opened her eyes wide, "You are not dead?"
"I... am not dead?" Little Xiaoyu scratched his head, "You are Official Luo, right? Do you recognize me?"
Luo Jin looked at Chai Qi in confusion, but saw the latter frowning slightly, "I only punished him for drugging the Princess; casually hit him. Did you think I killed him?"
Little Xiaoyu smiled embarrassedly, "That... was my fault. I shouldn't have drugged the Princess. His Highness only taught me a lesson. He is magnanimous. I would like to thank his Highness for letting my master go. I will also keep my promise and be loyal to his Highness forever! I grew up in Xiyuan and am familiar with Xiyuan. Although I may not be able to make a contribution, it's possible to help lead the way."
Luo Jin was even more confused, "Liu Shu is...let go by you?"
Didn't Chai Heng steal him?
"If I don't acquiesce, do you think Chai Heng can steal him away?" Chai Qi's tone carried some impatience, "Little Xiaoyu is from Xiyuan, it's always useful to take him along. Mister Shi know gu skills. If there’s aspects that need him, it might be a huge help."
Little Xiaoyu bowed, "I am willing to serve your highness!"
Mister Shi bowed, "Your highness, give me your orders."
Chai Qi turned his eyes to Luo Jin, "As for you... it would be best if you can recognize Yue Qinghai from the crowd at a glance, so that I can catch him."
Luo Jin smiled, "I'll do my best."
Seeing that there were only two carriages for this trip, she hurriedly said, "I want to ride in the same carriage with Mister Shi, is that okay?"
Anyway, she didn't want to ride with Chai Qi.
Chai Qi thought for a while and nodded, "Okay."
Considering that there were differences between men and women and the majority of this long journey will be in the carriage, it was more convenient for Luo Jin to ride in the same carriage with Mister Shi. Although Little Xiaoyu looked small, he was actually a young man in his twenties, so there were still some inconveniences.
The four of them got on the carriages and the driver whipped and set off, quite swift all the way. In order to get to Xiyuan as soon as possible, the carriages were moving at full speed throughout. When they arrived at the rest station, they would change for new horses. Even the driver would be changed to keep the physical strength of people and horses at all times.
Because they were traveling day and night, everyone could only rest in the carriage. The carriage that Luo Jin was sitting in wasn't like the one that Chai Heng had before- having a big couch. There was nothing here. So she could only somewhat sit and sleep. But when she was sleepy, she fell asleep easily.
Although Mister Shi was old, he was in good health; ate when he should and slept when he should, and was always in good spirits.
Luo Jin chatted on the road and asked Mister Shi about some knowledge about gu insects.
"Mother and child Gu? They are raised to control people and are particularly vicious. Mother Gu can control child Gu. As long as you manipulate the mother Gu, you can control the person with the child Gu."
"I heard there is a kind called Heart-Devouring Gu?" Luo Jin thought of Jiang Mo.
"That is the cruelest of all the mother and child Gu. Only beasts would use this kind of thing!" Mister Shi couldn't help but get angry talking about it. "This kind of Gu is planted in people's hearts. It feeds on people's heart blood. Every full moon night, it will be agitated for a bit, causing the infected person to suffer unbearable pain. If the body isn't good, the person will die after a few tossings. What's that phrase? Heart-piercing pain! Yes, that's the description. It hurts thinking about it."
Luo Jin couldn't help but clench her fists. Mister Shi shook his head and sighed, "Like all mother and child Gu, if the mother Gu dies, all the child Gu will go crazy. The child Gu of the Heart-Devouring Gu will go crazy and agitated after the mother Gu dies, turning the heart of the person infected into a pile of blood mush. Death is also extremely painful."
"Then... is it possible to cure it?" Luo Jin's voice trembled a little.
"Cure? It can be cured. If there is a mother Gu, I can cure it." Mister Shi said, "But you don't have to be afraid. This kind of Gu is extremely difficult to raise. A mother Gu is priceless, so it is rare."
"So, a mother Gu can control many child Gu, meaning it can control many people?"
"Yes, it can control thousands of people at most? The mother Gu can keep giving birth, and it can control any child Gu it gives birth to."
Luo Jin rushed to Wujie City on the morning of the fourth day. This was a small border town in Xiyuan. Because the location was important, there were many guards at the gate checking household registration documents. It was something similar to a household registration book, which contains the identity information of the holder.
The carriage stopped outside Wujie City. Chai Qi told the coachman to go back.
When they came out, they had changed into ordinary people's clothes. After getting off the carriage, Chai Qi distributed the documents to everyone, "We will enter the city in two batches this time to avoid being discovered. I will go with Vice Minister Luo, while Mister Shi will go with little Xiaoyu. After entering the city, we will find a place to stay first and not get together for the time being."
Luo Jin let out a gasp, "I will go with... Your Highness?"
She thought she would go into the city with Mister Shi. After getting along with him for the past few days, she still preferred this optimistic and kind old man.
She actually had to be in the same group with Chai Qi?
Chai Qi spread out the document in his hand, "This is a document forged by our people. It says that you and I are... husband and wife."
Luo Jin: "..."
Chai Qi added, "Mister Shi and Little Xiaoyu are nominally grandparents. You can enter the city one hour after we enter the city. Little Xiaoyu, you must take good care of Mister Shi."
Little Xiaoyu had already put on makeup to look like a child in the carriage. With big eyes blinking, he was no different from a seven or eight-year-old child.
He answered in a childish voice, "Understood! Little Xiaoyu will definitely take good care of Grandfather!"
"Let's go!" Chai Qi turned around and walked toward the city gate.
When he saw the guard at the gate, Chai Qi instantly changed his behavior, smiling like a country man who had never seen the world, and said naively, "Sir Soldier, this is my document, please take a look!"
The guard looked at the document carefully, then looked at Luo Jin who was standing next to Chai Qi, and stretched out his hand to her, "What about yours?"
Luo Jin handed her documents to the guard. She was shocked at how quickly Chai Qi's expression changed. It was quite different from the aloof prince.
The guard asked again, "What are you doing in the city?"
Chai Qi remained calm, "I heard my father suddenly passed away, so I’m entering the city to attend the funeral."
Luo Jin: "..."
This prince was truly filial.
"Are you two a couple?" The guard looked at the two of them, "Why does it... not feel like that? Are there any married couples this distant? From what I saw, young couples are close..."
Luo Jin shrugged, "Have you never seen a couple quarrel? After a quarrel, they wish to strangle each other. How can they be close?"
The guard let out a laugh, "Indeed... Come to think of it, why did you quarrel?"
Luo Jin glared at Chai Qi. Instantly became aggrieved, she pointed at Chai Qi, "He... He actually peeked at other women!"
The guard laughed even more jollily and said to Chai Qi, "You’re in the wrong. You have such a beautiful wife and still look at other women? No, didn't your father pass away? How can you still have the mind to look at women? Beast!"
Chai Qi could only smile, "Sir Soldier is right, I promise that I will never look again. Never again!"
"Okay, go in. Next one!" The guard returned the document and glared at Chai Qi with contempt. As soon as Chai Qi led Luo Jin into the city, he walked directly to the south of the city. Luo Jin didn't know where he was going. Nor did she dare to ask. So she followed him all the way.
After crossing the busy streets, entering an alley, and turning a few times, Chai Qi stopped at the door of a house.
This was an extremely ordinary-looking house with a small courtyard. The door was locked. Chai Qi fiddled the door lock a few times with his hands, pulled the lock off, and walked into the courtyard.
The courtyard was clean and tidy. It was obvious that someone took care of it regularly. Luo Jin followed Chai Qi into the courtyard, watched him go into the room to get some things and then handed her a piece of clothing, "Change into this!"
Luo Jin asked carefully: "Why... why change clothes? Where are we going?"
"Ruyi Restaurant." Chai Qi answered briefly.
"Going to meet someone?"
"En."
Luo Jin stopped asking and obediently went back to the room to change clothes, assuming Ruyi Restaurant was a more upscale place and it wasn't appropriate for her to go there dressed like a country woman.
First, the identity documents, and then this house. It was obvious that Chai Qi had planted many spies in Wujie City. Going to Ruyi Restaurant was most likely to meet someone important.
Luo Jin changed her clothes and followed Chai Qi out of the door without saying a word. After walking for a while, Chai Qi called a carriage. After riding for a while, they stopped at a busy street.
Chai Qi went to the front desk to ask for a private room upstairs, ordered a bunch of dishes, and took Luo Jin to sit in the private room.
Luo Jin didn't eat well on the journey. Seeing a large table of dishes, she couldn't help swallowing her saliva and asked tentatively: "Your Highness... Ah no, husband, can I eat?"
"Eat."
Luo Jin then carefully picked up a chicken leg and slowly chomped on it.
Chai Qi stood up from time to time and walked to the window to look out. After half an hour, he suddenly uttered, "Wait here, I'll be back soon. If there is any unusual movement... tie a red cloth on the window."
"Oh, OK!" Luo Jin vaguely mumbled out with her mouth full of food.
Chai Q immediately went out.
Once full, Luo Jin thought about going out to check around so that she could submit something to Chai Qi when he came back. If she did nothing, the Crown Prince would definitely be dissatisfied.
As soon as she went out, she saw a familiar face walking toward her. It was too late for her to avoid him. The man saw her and shouted, "Stop!"
Luo Jin could only bite the bullet, smiled, and turned around, "Your Highness, Crown Prince has a good memory and still remembers me."
Like she said she got bad luck. Why did she run into Jiang Ge when she exited?
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