Shui Linglong's judgment of the current situation is basically correct.
After they delayed for a while, they received an order from the court to return to the capital.
Shui Linglong led the remaining team of more than 500 people back to the capital, and after completing the handover procedures with the Ministry of War, it was already late in the afternoon.
The two of them rode forward on the spacious street. Many shops on the street began to close and there were few pedestrians.
Lu Jin was puzzled: "Should we close the shop now and stop doing business at night?"
Shui Linglong explained: "The curfew will start in less than an hour, and the door will be closed late and you will not be able to go home on time. If you are stranded in the middle of the road and are discovered by patrolling soldiers, you will be detained first. It will be quite difficult to get out."
Shui Linglong lives in the outer courtyard of Yunqi Palace, and there is a small courtyard specially arranged for her.
There is only one hut separated by a screen, and people can sleep inside and receive guests outside. The yard looks empty, which is perfect for practicing martial arts.
The yard had been uninhabited for a long time, so Lu Jin helped clean and tidy it up.
The sky was getting dark, and the sound of drums could be heard in the distance.
Shui Linglong reminded: "The curfew has started and no one is allowed to travel on the streets. If you have nothing to do, please stay at home and chat with your sister."
"But, I haven't eaten yet, and my stomach is growling." She couldn't go out, and Lu Jin didn't see Shui Linglong planning to cook.
Shui Linglong smiled and said, "Sister, I am the elder of the outer courtyard of Yunqi Palace. There is a special kitchen in the outer courtyard. Just wait, I will go over and get food."
Lu Jin wiped the tables, chairs and benches in the room, and Shui Linglong soon brought hot meals.
After the two of them had eaten and cleaned up, it was completely dark.
After chatting for a while, Shui Linglong asked Lu Jin about the interesting things she encountered when she returned to her hometown. Suddenly she heard someone knocking on the door gently outside the hospital: "Is Linglong at home?"
"Oops, my master is here!" Shui Linglong was slightly nervous.
"I'm not a man. Outsiders won't doubt my sister's innocence if they see it. What's there to be afraid of?" Lu Jin looked indifferent.
Shui Linglong said uneasily: "Even so, this is the outer courtyard of Yunqi Palace. Logically speaking, non-disciples of Yunqi Palace are not allowed to enter. You'd better stay away first, so that the master will blame me if he sees it."
"Okay." Lu Jin felt it made sense after hearing this. When she was wiping the furniture just now, she saw that the cabinet against the wall was half empty, so she took off her shoes and hid them in her hands.
Shui Linglong walked across the yard to open the door and said respectfully, "Master is here."
Pei Qing, the elder of the Inner Court Pavilion, looked at his apprentice with a hint of slyness in his eyes: "I heard from other disciples that they saw you in the kitchen to prepare food, so I came over to take a look. How is it? It goes well, right?"
He closed the door behind his back and walked into the yard.
Shui Linglong accompanied him: "Although the imperial army had a bad start, I brought back all the Yunqi Palace disciples who accompanied the army safely, without any casualties."
"That's good. Now is a troubled time. Our Yunqigong's strength cannot be damaged. Protecting ourselves is a great achievement." Pei Qing walked forward with his hands behind his back.
He saw the two horses tied behind the door: "Hey, is there anyone else in your house?"
Shui Linglong said awkwardly, "It's a long journey. Disciples can save horse power by switching horses, which makes it easier to travel."
"That's not bad." Pei Qing walked into the room, first checked that there was no one on the screen, and then sat down on the chair next to the table with confidence.
Shui Linglong quickly brought hot tea: "Master, please use tea."
She stood aside with her hands down.
Pei Qing took a sip of tea, stared at Shui Linglong and said, "On your way back, I heard that the army suffered a disastrous defeat. General Gao died in battle, Prince Shentu was captured, and only a team led by you escaped unscathed."
"That's the disciple's luck, because getting lost turned out to be a blessing in disguise, and he avoided the ambush of King Kai Zhennan's army." Shui Linglong had already thought about how to deal with it, and her answer was neither humble nor arrogant.
Pei Qing picked up the tea cup and held it in his palm: "The army was defeated and the court was furious. We heard some rumors and the court planned to investigate the matter thoroughly. They suspected that someone was colluding with the King of Zhennan and said they wanted to hold the person responsible accountable."
"If this is true, I'm afraid it would be a serious crime to lose your head." Pei Qing
Staring at Shui Linglong playfully.
Shui Linglong said with an expressionless face: "The disciples never left the camp during the march. The disciples of Yunqi Palace and the officers and soldiers who accompanied us can testify that we are not afraid of shadows when we are upright. Please tell me, master."
"well!"
Pei Qing sighed: "Everyone knows that King Zhennan's daughter runs a restaurant in Yunshang City, but you have a close relationship with her. This is an indisputable fact."
"This expedition has failed. I'm afraid some people with ulterior motives will take advantage of this to make a big fuss. It's difficult for me as a teacher now." The tea cup in Pei Qing's palm was placed on the table, and he leaned back on the chair with a very serious expression. Tired look.
Shui Linglong cupped her hands and said, "Every disciple is responsible for what he does. If there is any evidence that falls into the hands of the imperial court, Yun Qigong and the master will not be implicated."
Pei Qing shook his head: "You can say that, but it is impossible to do this. For many things, Yunqi Gong and his teacher have to rely on various officials in the court. Once you have a problem, everyone will be involved. No one can escape the responsibility that should be borne.”
"Master, don't worry. This disciple will speak in a measured manner and will definitely not implicate anyone in Yunqi Palace." Shui Linglong promised.
Pei Qing waved his hand: "The Yunqigong family is the only one, but there are many people behind the scenes who are just waiting to see the joke and take the opportunity to take over. Just because you don't speak doesn't mean that others won't spread rumors and cause trouble. If it really comes to that point, even the head of Yunqigong can't do anything. Already."
"What's the worst outcome?" Shui Linglong felt troubled for the first time.
Pei Qing frowned and said, "You were beheaded, I was exiled to the border, and Yunqi Palace was sealed off and ceased to exist."
"I don't regret my death. Yunqi Palace is the place that my mother misses the most. Before she died, she told me to love this place as my own home. I can't live up to her expectations." Shui Linglong couldn't help but burst into tears. fall.
Pei Qing nodded: "That's right. It's worth sacrificing the small self for the greater self."
Shui Linglong knelt down and said, "Master, please give me some advice."
"I treat you like a father and daughter. I watched you grow up and taught you martial arts. I can't bear to lose my life in vain at such a young age. Zhongshu Ling of the imperial court's Zhongshu Province has some friendship with his teacher, and he has long coveted you. She is so beautiful, but she has been rejected by her teacher many times when she tried to take advantage of her. It seems that she will not be spared this time." Pei Qing's tone revealed sadness and sadness.
Shui Linglong pondered for a moment, raised her head and said decisively: "Okay, for the safety of Yunqi Palace, this disciple is willing to go to Zhongshu Ling and ask the master for arrangements."
Pei Qing couldn't hide his inner joy and squatted in front of Shui Linglong and said, "It's rare that you think about the overall situation, but you have never had the experience of a man having sex with a woman. When you go to Zhongshu Ling's place, you will inevitably be nervous and panicked, in case you get angry. I’m afraid Zhongshu Ling will get into trouble and implicate Yunqi Palace.”
His hand touched Shui Linglong's chest: "I will teach you how to be a woman tonight, and you will be familiar with it when you get there."
Shui Linglong's eyes were filled with tears and she let Pei Qing's hands ravage her chest.
She vaguely saw the cabinet in front of her open a crack, and quickly shook her head gently in that direction, signaling Lu Jin not to act rashly.
Lu Jin in the cabinet already had a machete in hand, ready to rush out and stab Pei Qinglai at any time.
Seeing that Shui Linglong refused to let her take action, Lu Jin suddenly fell into confusion.
(Remember to bookmark it for next time reading!)
