Robe blanche - Chapitre 85
Zhao Ming and the others settled into the room next to the fake Shen Haoyu. Shen Haoyu and Zinuo stayed in the room next to them. Yin Yan and I shared a room, with Gan Lin next door. Back in my room, I fetched a large tub of hot water, closed the doors and windows, and lay down comfortably. Before long, I fell into a deep sleep.
After days of running around and worrying, plus not sleeping a wink last night, I'm actually sleeping exceptionally well now.
"You idiot, get up, the water's getting cold." In my daze, someone patted my face, a chill running through my body. I jolted awake and opened my eyes to see Yin Yan raising her hand to slap me again.
"You're finally awake. The water's all cold now, don't catch a chill." Seeing that I was awake, Yin Yan put down her hand, tossed me a clean towel, and then turned and went around the screen. As soon as I got out of the water, I got goosebumps all over. I quickly dried myself off and shivered as I put on my clothes.
I went next door to check on Zinuo, and Yinyan was there as expected. Seeing me go in, Yinyan complained again that I had fallen asleep in the bath, unaware that the water was cold. Zinuo also looked at me with some displeasure. I repeatedly assured her that I was healthy and would definitely not catch a cold, even saying that cold water baths were better for my health. Zinuo scoffed, "You're full of fallacies." These aren't fallacies; they're conclusions drawn from Chairman Mao's own experience. Many people even go winter swimming in icy water in the dead of winter. They really have no experience.
Because of my embarrassing incident of falling asleep while showering, the atmosphere tonight was much more cheerful than usual. Perhaps it was because the accommodations were quite nice. The group chatted and joked around in the room, with Shen Haoyu occasionally laughing and chiming in. Of course, I did most of the talking, while Yin Yan and Zinuo provided support.
As we were talking, Yin Yan inexplicably brought up the matter of me making the sled. Before I could react and cover her mouth, Shen Haoyu gently scolded, "Let her talk." This was the most shameful thing in my life, how could I let them know? But because of Shen Haoyu's status as his master, I had no choice but to let Yin Yan continue, covering my ears and pretending not to hear, but their voices still kept getting into my ears.
"You all didn't see it, she was fighting with so many stray dogs all by herself, refusing to move on the road..." Yin Yan seemed unable to continue, covering her mouth and laughing so hard she could barely breathe, tears welling in her eyes. I couldn't help but wonder, why didn't I see her laughing so heartily when I was there?
The scene seemed truly hilarious to imagine. Zinuo laughed until her face turned bright red, pointing at me speechlessly. Shen Haoyu wanted to laugh, but dared not laugh too hard lest he aggravate his wound. His lips twitched incessantly, making him look quite bizarre. They laughed for quite a while before stopping. I also loosened my hands from covering my ears. What did it matter if I sacrificed my image to let them relax their tense nerves for a moment?
Yin Yan patted her chest a few times before continuing, "That's when Gan Lin appeared, saying that Huai En's idea was good, but the dogs wouldn't work, the snowmobiles wouldn't work, and the terrain wasn't suitable... In short, Huai En's plan wouldn't work here." Yin Yan's account of Gan Lin's appearance differed somewhat from what I had told them. Just as I was thinking about how to cover up my lie, Yin Yan added, "I thought we were parting ways with Gan Lin, but unexpectedly, we ran into him again at the same restaurant in the next town. He happened to be broke, so we paid for him, and he came with us."
Hearing this, I secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Since Yin Yan had covered up my lie, I wouldn't say anything more.
We chatted about other things for a while, and were drinking tea when I heard Shen Haoyu chuckle softly again, glancing at me repeatedly as he laughed. Zinuo and Yinyan joined in the laughter. I knew they were thinking about my tug-of-war with those dogs again, so I glared at them, focused on drinking my tea, and ignored them.
After a long while, Shen Haoyu stopped laughing and asked, "Huai'en, how could you do such a thing?"
Do you think I wanted to do this? I was just anxious to get to your side as soon as possible because I was worried about your injuries. Now you're even making fun of me. I'm resolutely ignoring you.
"Sister, I always thought you could do anything well, but I never expected this time..." Zi Nuo actually joined in kicking someone when they were down.
I'm not a saint, how could I possibly do everything perfectly? Besides, I only have ideas for those things; how to actually do them is up to others. There's no way to communicate with them.
Shen Haoyu rubbed his chest and said, "Yinyan, why didn't you tell us sooner? Maybe my injury would have healed faster."
"Be careful your wound doesn't reopen!" I said curtly as I walked out of the room. I take back my words, "I don't mind sacrificing my image as long as they have an easier time." They're really pushing their luck now.
Just as I was about to push open the door to my room, I paused and decided to go check on Gan Lin. We had been playing around there, and I hadn't even noticed him. It seemed a bit inappropriate. But he was also a witness to the "tug-of-war with the dog" incident. It was better that he wasn't there; otherwise, he might have described it even more vividly than Yin Yan, and my reputation would have been ruined.
I knocked on the door a few times, but no one answered. I called out twice more, but still no one responded. The light was on, so how could no one be home? Maybe he'd fallen asleep in the shower like me? Thinking about it, even if he was in the same situation, I couldn't possibly go in and wake him, so I simply stopped and went back to my room.
Yin Yan will definitely wait until Shen Haoyu falls asleep before coming back. I, with my long arms and legs, wrapped myself in the blanket and fell asleep sweetly.
I dreamt I was rolling around on a soft Simmons bed, but I accidentally rolled off. I was secretly relieved it was just a dream and I wouldn't get hurt. I stretched my arms and legs, ready to climb back into bed and continue sleeping, but suddenly realized I couldn't move half of my body. I abruptly opened my eyes and realized I was lying off the bed, with the blankets on the side.
Where's Yinyan? Hasn't she come back to sleep yet? The candles are still burning in the room, much shorter than before. I rubbed my eyes and looked around the room carefully; there was definitely no one else there besides me. What time is it? Yinyan is still awake.
I got dressed and opened the door, only to be startled by the sight outside. Several parts of the inn were on fire, the blazing flames illuminating the darkness clearly. On the rooftops and in the courtyard, many figures were fighting, yet I couldn't hear the clash of weapons. Upon closer inspection, I realized that the raiders were all using long whips. No wonder I hadn't sensed anything inside the room.
So, where are Zinuo and the others? I hurriedly pushed open the door to their room. The lights were on, but it was empty. Where did they go? Why did they leave me all alone? Why didn't anyone call me? Aren't they afraid I'd be beheaded in my sleep?
I walked past two more rooms. The door to the fake Shen Haoyu's room was already open, and there was no one inside. I turned around and ran to Gan Lin's room. I rushed inside, and apart from a large basin of water that had long since cooled, it was no different from the other rooms.
Gripping my short sword tightly, I weaved through the fighting crowd. There were Imperial Guards, men in black wielding whips, and men in black carrying other weapons. But it was clear that the men in black wielding whips were the enemy, because the Imperial Guards and the other men in black had them surrounded and were killing them mercilessly.
I wandered among them, but no one paid any attention to me. The scene was truly bizarre. I didn't even know where Zinuo and the others had gone. I only felt a chill all over my body, even colder than when I woke up in the cold water.
Can anyone tell me what happened while I was asleep? I don't want to develop some kind of sleep phobia from these few days and never be able to sleep again.
I continued searching the inn, but apart from the people still fighting, the entire inn was deserted; there wasn't a soul in sight. Perhaps I could get some information from the crowd if I returned. I pulled out a guard and asked, "Where are the others? Where is the young prince?" Before the guard could speak, his throat was slit, and he died. Startled, I loosened my grip, and the guard collapsed to the ground. I dared not ask any more questions, quietly hiding to the side, unsure whether to escape first or wait until they finished fighting before asking.
Seeing the black-clad men wielding long whips being killed one by one, I thought the battle was over. But to my surprise, the remaining black-clad men instantly turned their swords on the Imperial Guards who had just fought alongside them. The Imperial Guards were clearly caught off guard, so the black-clad men slaughtered them.
Sensing something was wrong, I tried to run away, but someone grabbed me and quickly sealed my pressure points, rendering me immobile. One by one, the Imperial Guards fell until none remained. The men in black carefully inspected the inn, piled all the corpses together, and finally set it ablaze, connecting it with the previous fire. The inn was instantly engulfed in flames, and I was carried away by them.
Do not lean against the west railing to lock in the clear autumn. Chapter 70
Chapter word count: 4136 Update time: 09-08-19 11:04
My mouth and nose were bound with strips of cloth, and I was stuffed into a hidden compartment in the carriage. We were jostled along the way, and I had no idea where we were going. The people weren't rude, though; it was much better than the last time I was sacked and tossed around. What I'm worried about now is where Zinuo and the others have gone. All the Imperial Guards are dead, but we haven't seen a single body of the Prince Qing's guards.
Did the Prince Qing's mansion secretly send people to rescue them? Then why am I the only one left? Are these men in black the same ones who took Zi Nuo and the others away? And where did Gan Lin go...?
So many questions. Everything happened so suddenly, I have absolutely no clue what to do. To put it bluntly, I don't know how many forces are involved with the Prince Qing's mansion, or what kind of entanglements they might have. Some want to kill, while others are holding back in trying to save. Although the Prince Qing's mansion is at the center of the conflict, not everyone in the mansion knows the truth. Usually, only a few people know, and there are many hidden, uncertain factors that even the Prince Qing and his men probably can't figure out, let alone someone like me who has always been on the outside. I haven't even gotten a glimpse of their inner workings.
When I got out of the carriage, I found that the people escorting me were an elderly couple disguised as a family, along with their grown son. Every so often they would take me out, untie the strips of cloth, and give me something to eat and drink, so I could stretch my legs. But all of this was done in secluded, deserted places, and they never spoke to me.
Several times I opened my mouth to speak, but under the old man's glare, I had to swallow my words. Later, during a break, I couldn't bear it any longer and finally mustered up the courage to ask, "You..."
“We won’t tell you anything. When you get there, someone will answer your questions.” Before I could even ask, the son coldly interrupted me.
I quickly explained, "I will never ask you any secrets, I just want to make a personal request."
The old woman glanced at me and asked, "What do you want?" Her voice was far less aged than her appearance suggested.
After organizing my thoughts, I cautiously asked, "Why didn't you drug me? It's so stuffy in that small place, I'd rather just stay asleep." I was telling the truth. Although it was still cold, that cramped, dark room was so suffocating. It was pitch black and I couldn't see anything. The thought of someone sitting right above my head on the wooden plank made me even more uncomfortable.
Fortunately, they were still somewhat humane. Seeing that my request wasn't unreasonable and seemed to reduce their troubles, they agreed. Before returning to the dark room, the old woman gave me a pill, which I swallowed without thinking. If they wanted me dead, they wouldn't have needed to resort to poisoning.
I spent most of the rest of the journey in a semi-conscious state. They figured that once the effects of the drug wore off, they would release me, give me a good meal and water, and then give me more medicine. I don't know how long I lay in that carriage until one day I woke up and smelled a faint odor on my body, at which point I had to make a new request.
"I'm going to take a shower," I mumbled, gnawing on the chicken leg the old woman had given me.
That day, they didn't let me go back into that small, dark box. The old woman took out some bottles and jars from the car and started applying them to my face, probably to disguise me. It's a pity there was no mirror, so I don't know what she made me look like.
Before entering the city, they acupunctured me, even stopping my speech. They found an inn in the city and booked two rooms, one for the old woman and one for me. I think her main purpose was still to monitor me. After I bathed, the old woman repainted my face. Fortunately, the disguise drugs were skin-friendly, so I didn't feel any obvious discomfort. After she finished, I looked in the mirror and found myself transformed into a sickly, sallow-faced boy. I pouted in dissatisfaction. Considering my acupuncture points were sealed and I needed help walking, what else could I do besides pretend to be sick?
I slept almost all day long in the carriage, so I shouldn't be able to sleep now. But as soon as I lay down on the large bed, I immediately fell asleep again. When I got up, I told myself that this was definitely because I had taken too many sleeping pills, and I wouldn't be able to wake up for a while.
As I left the inn, I secretly surveyed my surroundings. Judging from the architectural style of the houses and the accents of the people, we seemed to have left the territory of Marquis Qiyun and were heading north. Although I didn't know where they would take me, they hadn't done anything to me these past few days, which gradually calmed me down.