Chapter 47 A Long Night

The two suddenly felt they had nothing to say, and the atmosphere became ambiguous somehow.

Wu Zhao's breathing became slightly rapid, and she couldn't help but put her hand in front of her chest, covering a patch of white skin at the front of her collar.

Yuan Xi felt a little parched. He remembered Wu Zhao mentioning her age once, and like Yuan Xi, she should be around twenty years old.

Wu Zhao said she became a widow after marrying at fifteen or sixteen, which Yuan Xi thought was likely true, since women at the end of the Han dynasty generally married between thirteen and sixteen years old.

This was because during the reign of Emperor Hui of Han, the imperial court required women over fifteen and under thirty who did not marry to pay five times the tax.

Emperor Hui of Han himself set an example. His empress, Zhang, married into the palace at the age of twelve, and Emperor Zhao of Han married a six-year-old empress when he was eight.

Except for wealthy families who could delay for a year or so, the vast majority of women would marry before the age of fifteen.

Therefore, based on this deduction, Zhen Mi, whom Yuan Xi was about to marry, would also be no more than sixteen or seventeen years old at this time.

Yuan Xi had to admit that Wu Zhao's features were actually very proper and moving. If her face hadn't been ruined, she would have been extremely beautiful.

Although her figure was concealed, it shouldn't be bad, and coupled with her prime age, that smile just now made Yuan Xi suddenly feel a little restless.

He opened his mouth, just about to say something, when the door was knocked on rapidly again.

Yuan Xi was furious. What was going on tonight!

He angrily pulled open the door and found Zhao Yun standing at the door with a solemn expression. Seeing Yuan Xi come out, he said, "There is unrest in the military camp outside the city. General Qu has taken several people out of the city."

Yuan Xi was shocked. Qu Yi left in such a hurry, without even telling him. Clearly, the situation was urgent!

This was likely aimed at Gao Lan. Gao Lan didn't even choose a maidservant when he left. For a military general to endure to this extent, there was definitely a problem.

But Yuan Xi didn't expect Gao Lan to react so strongly. Could he have seen through something?

He was careless!

Yuan Xi decisively said, "Brother Zhao, gather as many men as you can. Depart from outside the mansion gate after half a cup of tea and follow me out of the city to meet Brother Qu."

Zhao Yun nodded and hurried away.

Yuan Xi returned to the room, picked up the armor from the corner, and put it on. He was feeling troubled, wondering what Gao Lan was up to.

Could he be planning to attack the city with troops?

He reached back to tie the armor straps, which aggravated the injury in his waist, and he immediately hissed and gasped for breath.

Wu Zhao quickly came forward to help Yuan Xi put on the armor and said in a low voice, "Young Master, don't worry. Now that the Eldest Young Master is also in the mansion, Gao Lan may not have the guts to do anything."

Yuan Xi felt as if he had taken a reassuring pill upon hearing this.

With Yuan Tan and Yuan Xi both in the mansion, if Gao Lan was Yuan Tan's man, he wouldn't dare to act at this time for fear of harming them.

If Gao Lan was Yuan Shang's man, he shouldn't be crazy enough to kill both of Yuan Shao's sons, right?

What exactly was he going to do?

Qu Yi…

Yuan Xi suddenly woke up, picked up the ring-pommel sword, and said to Wu Zhao, "I'm leaving first."

He didn't have time to say anything else and rushed to the mansion gate. Zhao Yun had already prepared a horse and was waiting.

Yuan Xi jumped on the horse, and the group galloped towards the outside of the city.

Wu Zhao walked out of the room, worriedly watching the direction Yuan Xi left. After a while, she closed the door and returned to the room.

In a corner of the courtyard, Madam Ma watched Wu Zhao and Yuan Xi come out separately through the window crack, shook her head, and sighed, "What a pity."

"What's a pity?" Sun Li sat behind Madam Ma, tending to a wooden bow. He carefully put away the bowstring and asked curiously.

Madam Ma turned her head and said to Sun Li, "Didn't the Young Master call you this time he went out?"

Sun Li was stunned. "Brother said I just got married and gave me ten days off."

The other day, Sun Li married the young woman he met while harvesting wheat. They couldn't find a house in the city for the time being, so Yuan Xi vacated a firewood room in the mansion for the couple to live in.

Madam Ma was extremely annoyed upon hearing this, "The Young Master has a life-saving grace for us and has taken us in. You should be by his side every step of the way. Now that the Young Master has had things to do several times, you are not by his side. What kind of personal guard are you!"

"If he doesn't let you go, you really won't go?"

"You're losing our family's face!"

"If anything happens to the Young Master, you might as well kill yourself!"

"Go back to the house and find your wife. I don't want to see you!"

Sun Li didn't dare to refute, touched his head, and slipped away, thinking, 'Why is my wife's temper so bad tonight?'

Near the military camp outside the city, nearly a hundred tents were set up, and the soldiers were resting inside, while some soldiers patrolled back and forth. The lights in the main tent were brightly lit, and faint figures flickered.

Anyone who saw this scene would assume that Gao Lan was in the main tent.

However, what no one expected was that Gao Lan was currently leading several subordinates, galloping south along the road they had come from.

As one of the Four Pillars of Hebei, he certainly wouldn't raise troops against Yuan Tan and Yuan Xi. He didn't have the qualifications.

But he had recognized someone who shouldn't be alive.

His demeanor, movements, and habits, Gao Lan recognized at first glance that the disfigured man with a scarred face was Ju Yi, who should have died long ago!

What was the Second Young Master trying to do?

Gao Lan didn't know if Yuan Tan and Yuan Xi had reached any agreement during their private talk, but if that was the case, Gao Lan felt that his situation was very dangerous!

Although he was one of the Four Pillars of Hebei, military generals were different from aristocratic families. Most of them were commoners from humble backgrounds with no backing. Like Ju Yi, he could be killed without much consequence.

Gao Lan didn't want to be sacrificed. He had to bring the news that Ju Yi was still alive back to Ye City and tell Yuan Shang!

Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh, the sound of rapid air being torn apart came.

In the blink of an eye, a wave of arrows shot down all the horses of Gao Lan's subordinates, and the people on them fell to the ground.

The arrows aimed at Gao Lan's horse's head were deflected by his spear.

Gao Lan didn't care about his subordinates at this time and accelerated his horse to flee.

The sounds of fighting and screams rose from behind.

Suddenly, a burly man on horseback appeared in front, holding a long spear in his hand, coldly looking at Gao Lan.

Upon seeing him, Gao Lan shouted, "Ju Yi!"

"You dare to rebel with the Second Young Master!"

Ju Yi sneered, "Bullshit!"

The two spears clashed, and the explosive shouts shook the valley.

A quarter of an hour later, Gao Lan covered his shoulder and accelerated his horse to flee.

Ju Yi cursed and jumped off his horse, the horse under him collapsing to the ground.

He and Gao Lan had exchanged dozens of moves without a clear winner, but Gao Lan was very insidious. He sold a flaw, and at the cost of injuring his shoulder, he fatally stabbed Ju Yi's horse with a spear.

Ju Yi only realized then that Gao Lan had been planning to escape from the start!

However, at this time, Gao Lan took the opportunity to escape hundreds of feet. By the time Ju Yi's subordinates came to change horses, it was impossible to catch up.

Gao Lan gasped for breath, clutching the wound on his arm, thinking that in another ten miles or so was the Great River, and he had left people at the ferry in advance. When the time came, he would cross the river and escape all the way back to Ji Province!

Yuan Xi was so bold that he even dared to take in Ju Yi. No wonder Young Master Yuan Shang was so wary of him!

He suddenly pulled on the reins.

In front, Yuan Xi was riding a horse in the road, with a white-robed general beside him.

Gao Lan recognized that it was the surrendered general Zhao Yun, an unknown soldier.

Yuan Xi said, "General, please stop."

Gao Lan took a few deep breaths, pulled the reins, suddenly accelerated, and laughed loudly, "I am Gao Lan, who can stop me except for Ju Yi!"

Seeing the two sides getting closer and closer, Zhao Yun stepped forward with his spear, facing Gao Lan.

Dark night, bright moon, cold wind, spear light, the sound of horses' hooves.

The two horses crossed, and there was an explosion.

Gao Lan slowly slowed down his horse, covered his chest, swayed a few times, and fell off his horse with a thud.