The Kong family was extremely envious, but Mu Fengqie was impervious to their schemes. No matter how hard they racked their brains, they couldn't figure out how to squeeze some money out of Mu Fengqie.
Mu Rendong was even more envious. He never expected that Mu Fengqie, who usually seemed timid and submissive, would change completely after leaving home. However, he always thought that as her elder brother, she was obliged to give him money.
...
Jing Xunce had been hiding his tracks all along. He was extremely cautious in his actions. Although he noticed several groups of people following him one after another, he managed to shake them off skillfully.
It seemed that the person behind the scenes had already noticed that he was starting to pay attention to the matter. The dossier he retrieved from the Supreme Court last time had no flaws, and he still needed to continue looking for clues.
After shaking off a group of trackers, he put on the clothes of a ghost - faced man. All those related to him had been imprisoned in the jail. It seemed that if he wanted to find clues, he had to go to the jail.
Lou Yueying searched all the way to the border but didn't find any trace of Jing Xunce. She was so persistent that she spent two months searching there before returning to the imperial city. Although she was back in the city, her heart was still with Jing Xunce.
She didn't believe that Jing Xunce would commit the crime of colluding with the enemy and betraying the country. But she was just a nobody. Even if she tried to defend him, no one would listen.
When she learned that he had escaped on the way to exile in the border, she was extremely excited. She was already ready to elope with him, but he seemed to have vanished from the world. No matter how hard she searched, she couldn't find him.
The two of them had grown up and studied together since childhood. They were not only childhood friends but also fellow apprentices.
She loved him. Although he was kind to her, Lou Yueying knew that his kindness was just out of their long - standing friendship. But for her, that was enough.
Jing Xunce had never allowed any woman to get close to him, so Lou Yueying considered herself special.
She went out early every day and didn't return until evening, just to look for Jing Xunce outside.
Jing Xunce, dressed as a ghost - faced man, came to the gate of the jail.
This place was very familiar to him. When he returned triumphantly from the battlefield, he thought he would be respected by everyone in the imperial city. Instead, what awaited him was a living hell.
There were many people in the jail who had once willingly followed him. They were all imprisoned because of him. He swore that one day he would rescue them all.
He used his light - body technique to jump over the jail wall.
Lou Yueying was walking aimlessly. Somehow, she came to the jail, and the back view of Jing Xunce caught her eye.
Even from just a back view, Lou Yueying recognized him. She couldn't believe her eyes and stared wide - eyed. Her eyes instantly welled up with tears.
She was sure she couldn't be mistaken. They had grown up together, and she was familiar with everything about him. Even if he turned to ashes, Lou Yueying could recognize Jing Xunce.
She didn't dare to make a sound, for fear that she might accidentally call out his name and attract the pursuers. So she patiently waited outside, not daring to relax for a moment, for fear of missing Jing Xunce.
Jing Xunce skillfully avoided the jailers. He patiently waited until the guard was lax, then knocked out the jailers and got the keys. The jail was very strictly guarded, so he had to hurry.
The jail was an extremely gloomy place, and it was well - enclosed. If he was discovered here, it would be very difficult for him to escape. So he could only stay for a short time.
Soon he found his former master. It was hard to imagine what inhumane treatment his master had suffered in just a few months.
The once - valiant old prime minister had become such a wretched figure. Jing Xunce felt a sharp pain in his heart, as if being pricked by a needle.
"Master..."
Jing Xunce unlocked the door with the key and slowly walked to the old prime minister's side. His voice choked with sobs as he said, "Master, I'm here to rescue you!"
If it weren't for him, his master wouldn't have ended up like this. Back then, he had invited his master to be his military advisor in the war. He never expected that this would lead to his master being imprisoned at such an old age.
Looking at the master's wounds all over his body, it was easy to guess that he must have been tortured. Jing Xunce felt very bad.
The old man in front of him was his benefactor. Instead of repaying his master's kindness, he had even dragged his master into this inhumane situation. He felt extremely guilty and didn't care about anything else. At this moment, he just wanted to rescue his master.
The old prime minister was a senior statesman of the country. The emperor not only didn't care about the old relationship but also treated him so harshly. Jing Xunce was very unhappy, and his hatred for the emperor grew deeper.
He had two masters since childhood. One, who taught him and Lou Yueying martial arts, had passed away. The other, the old prime minister in front of him, taught him military strategy. But now his master no longer looked like his former self.
The old prime minister slowly opened his eyes when he heard the voice. Jing Xunce could clearly see the exhaustion and pain in his expression.
When the old prime minister turned his head and saw him, his pupils dilated. He was extremely excited.
"Why did you come back? Leave this place quickly! It's best not to come back again. Go as far as you can!" the old prime minister said, trembling.
Jing Xunce's eyes were moist, filled with glistening tears. "Master, I'm going to rescue you. It's all my fault that I've dragged you into this!"
The old prime minister sighed, his tone tinged with a bit of anxiety. "Why say such things? I know what you've done and what you haven't. Since ancient times, good always triumphs over evil. There will always be a day when the truth comes to light. I'm an old man and I'm not going to last long. As long as you can be safe, I have no regrets."
Jing Xunce kept shaking his head. He reached out his hand to help the old prime minister up, trying to rescue him.
However, since he was taught by the old prime minister, the old prime minister knew his character very well. The old prime minister pushed Jing Xunce's hand away.
"I'm an old man and I don't have much time left. Now it's time to return something to its rightful owner. Promise me not to worry about me and leave this place quickly."
As soon as he finished speaking, the old prime minister looked at Jing Xunce and smiled. This was his proudest student, the one most like him. Only if he died in the jail would the people have objections to the emperor.
He was a senior statesman of the country and had made many contributions to the country and the people. If he died in the jail, it would surely arouse the dissatisfaction of the people. Only in this way could the imperial power be restricted.
The current emperor was fatuous and incompetent. He daydreamed all day long and was extremely suspicious. Such a foolish emperor could not lead the country and the people to prosperity.