PNB Chapter 231: We can overcome this difficulty.
Chapter 231: We can overcome this difficulty.
He Jinnian and Long Jinyan went to gather information, while Pei Yan and Li Renyi stayed in the cave to take care of Fang Xiaoxiao and prepare for possible dangers.
After He Jinnian and Long Jinyan left, the cave became quiet. Fang Xiaoxiao leaned against the stone wall, looking exhausted.
Do you think we can get through this?
She asked softly, her voice filled with fear of the unknown.
Pei Yan comforted him, "Don't worry, as long as we are united, we can definitely do it."
Time passed by, and it wasn't until evening that He Jinnian and Long Jinyan returned.
"There's news."
He Jinnian said, his voice tinged with excitement, "So this pursuit was a deliberate setup by someone who wanted to take the opportunity to get rid of us."
Upon hearing this, everyone was furious, their anger burning like a raging fire.
"Who on earth is so ruthless?"
Li Renyi asked through gritted teeth, his fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white.
He Jinnian's face was gloomy, as if it could drip water.
"It is said to be a powerful official in the imperial court, because we have touched his interests."
"Then what should we do?" Fang Xiaoxiao asked, her eyes filled with determination.
Pei Yan pondered for a moment, his gaze resolute: "We must find evidence to expose his conspiracy in order to clear our names."
However, they were completely unaware that at that moment, the so-called powerful figure was sitting high in the Imperial Academy, explaining the contents of the Tao Te Ching to a group of princes.
Inside the Imperial Academy.
The Confucian sage Zhang Xuzi held the book "Tao Te Ching" in his hand, his expression solemn. Beside him stood his student, a handsome young page.
The pageboy lowered his head and whispered a few words in the teacher's ear.
"Okay, I understand. Tell them to hurry up and make sure they're wiped out completely..."
Zhang Xuzi's face remained gentle and refined, but a barely perceptible ruthlessness flashed in his eyes, a ruthlessness like a venomous snake lurking in the shadows, ready to strike at any moment.
The pageboy nodded slightly upon hearing the teacher's reply, and then quickly left.
After the page left, Zhang Xuzi stood up and first glanced at the Confucian scholars and princes below the platform. His gaze seemed gentle, but it carried a scrutinizing quality. Then he spoke slowly.
"Today's recitation of the first three chapters of the Tao Te Ching will be checked tomorrow. School dismissed!"
Four or five princes, around ten years old and dressed in fine clothes, first sighed and complained after hearing what the teacher said. But as soon as they heard the words "drop out of school," they immediately became as if they had been injected with chicken blood and stood up to bow.
"Good morning, sir!"
......
After the princes left, Zhang Xuzi paced alone in his study, plotting his next move.
He knew that Fang Xiaoxiao and the others would not give up easily and would definitely try every means to fight back.
"Hmph, a bunch of arrogant fools who think they can bring me down by exposing one conspiracy?"
Zhang Xuzi snorted coldly, his voice filled with disdain and contempt.
At this moment, the pageboy hurriedly returned.
"Teacher, the assassins we sent failed, and Fang Xiaoxiao and her group have reinforcements."
The pageboy looked nervous, his forehead covered in sweat.
Zhang Xuzi frowned, a hint of anger in his eyes: "Reinforcements? Have you found out who they are?"
The pageboy shook his head.
"The situation is still unclear, but judging from their behavior and well-trained manner, they are probably quite powerful."
Zhang Xuzi pondered for a moment.
"No matter what, we can't let them ruin my big plan. Send more men and make sure we wipe them out in one fell swoop."
"is teacher."
The pageboy responded and turned to make the arrangements.
"Wait," Zhang Xuzi called to the pageboy. "This matter must be handled discreetly, so as not to alert anyone else."
The page nodded and left.
On the other side, Fang Xiaoxiao and the others gathered together to discuss countermeasures.
"Who in the court is so ruthless? We must not let him continue to do evil."
Fang Xiaoxiao said angrily, her cheeks flushed with anger.
"But he wields considerable power in the court, so we need to plan this carefully."
Pei Yan analyzed the situation calmly, his gaze deep, as if he could see through everything.
"Perhaps I should ask my uncle for help!"
Li Renyi suggested, a hint of anticipation in his eyes.
His uncle was the general of the North, commanding an army of 300,000.
"Since he is so aggressive, we cannot sit idly by and wait to die."
A determined light shone in Fang Xiaoxiao's eyes, a light like a star in the night, illuminating their path forward.
Pei Yan nodded.
“That’s right, we must actively seek opportunities to escape. But before that, we need to plan our route and avoid the heavy encirclement by the officers and soldiers.”
After some discussion, they decided to take advantage of the darkness and proceed by taking a roundabout route through the mountains.
On a dark and windy night, Fang Xiaoxiao and the others carefully traversed the mountains and forests.
They dared not light torches, and could only grope their way forward by the faint moonlight and their memory of the terrain.
The surrounding trees resembled enormous black shadows, as if they were about to stretch out their demonic claws and devour them at any moment.
Suddenly, a commotion arose ahead, as if patrolling soldiers were passing by.
Everyone immediately stopped and hid in the bushes, not daring to breathe.
The heartbeats of everyone were clearly audible, as if a tense melody was playing in the silent mountains and forests.
After the soldiers had gone some distance, they continued on their way.
However, they hadn't gone far when they encountered a swift-flowing river that blocked their path.
"What should we do? The river is flowing so fast, it will be difficult for us to cross."
Li Renyi looked troubled, gazing at the rushing river with a sense of helplessness in his heart.
Long Jinyan surveyed his surroundings and then spoke.
"Let's look around and see if there are any sturdy branches. We can use them to cross the river."
Everyone sprang into action, groping in the darkness, and soon found suitable branches.
They supported each other and struggled to cross the river.
The river water was icy cold, and every step was fraught with danger, but they did not back down.
After a night of travel, they finally emerged from the mountains at dawn.
But before they could even breathe a sigh of relief, they spotted soldiers in the distance.
"Oh no, we need to hide quickly," Pei Yan said in a low voice, his voice filled with tension.
They took refuge in a nearby abandoned farmhouse.
At this moment, the officers and soldiers were already walking in their direction, their footsteps growing closer and closer.
With everyone extremely anxious, Fang Xiaoxiao suddenly came up with an idea.
"We can create some illusions to distract them."
So they made some noise on the other side of the farmhouse.
Upon hearing the commotion, the officers and soldiers indeed gave chase in that direction.
Taking advantage of the opportunity, Fang Xiaoxiao and the others quickly left and continued their escape.
Fang Xiaoxiao and the others traveled non-stop, not daring to stop for even a moment.