Chapter 520

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Protagonist:

Yan Qianqian

Then, Qianqian casually picked up a picture book as if nothing had happened and returned to the bedroom. Feicui saw this and merely thought she was preparing to read a picture book for a while before sleep, and did not become suspicious.

Qianqian walked into the room, her gaze landing on Shi Er hanging from the roof beam.

Because Ouyang Chengren, for the sake of protecting Qianqian's reputation, would not lightly set foot in her room, this place had instead become the safest spot.

Shi Er had been staying quietly on the roof beam, as if fused with the surrounding environment.

Qianqian called out softly: "Shi Er." Upon hearing the sound, Shi Er moved, drifting down from the roof beam like a ghost.

Qianqian handed the letter in her hand to Shi Er and said solemnly: "This letter goes to my father, it must be fast!" Shi Er took the letter, nodded, indicating he understood.

Qianqian paused slightly, then fished out another letter from her bosom and likewise handed it to Shi Er, instructing: "This letter goes to my Fourth Brother, also must be fast! I don't trust anyone else, this letter is very important, you must personally make the trip."

Shi Er nodded solemnly again, carefully tucking the two letters into his bosom, as if they were incomparably precious treasures.

He deeply knew the importance of these two letters, so he dared not have the slightest negligence.

Shi Er raised his head, looking at Master with determined eyes, and said: "Master, you must protect yourself well. Subordinate will complete the task as quickly as possible, and return as quickly as possible to report back to you."

Finished speaking, he turned without the slightest hesitation, flashing out the window like a ghost, and vanished from Qianqian's sight in the blink of an eye.

And Qianqian inside the room, at this moment, was lying quietly on the bed, eyes fixed on the ceiling, seemingly pondering something.

The next day, before dawn, the military camp was already a scene of bustling activity. Soldiers swiftly organized equipment, inspected weapons, everything appearing orderly and methodical.

Ouyang Chengren, clad in military uniform, rode a tall horse with a heroic bearing, his gaze sharp as an eagle's, scanning the entire military camp.

Only hearing Deputy General Liang Xiao give a command, the Qi Family Army's banner rose high, fluttering and snapping in the morning wind.

With Liang Xiao's shout, the column began to move slowly, horse hooves and footsteps intertwining, forming a stirring marching tune.

Qianqian at this time had just woken up; she had tossed and turned last night, thinking for a long time.

She felt that staying in the General's Mansion might delay matters due to untimely information transmission.

So, when Hongdou was on duty today, she briefly explained a few sentences, then hurriedly packed her small bundle, led a horse out of the General's Mansion, and galloped off in the direction the army was marching.

Qianqian galloped all the way, silently calculating the time in her heart. By her estimate, she should be able to catch up to the army by afternoon.

So as not to delay the journey, at noon she merely ate a quick bite in a city she passed through, then continued rushing without stopping.

Come afternoon, Qianqian saw the silhouette of the main force from afar. She fixed her eyes on the crowd, and suddenly noticed a person who seemed somewhat anxious, constantly looking left and right, as if searching for a suitable place to relieve himself.

Seeing this, Qianqian's heart stirred, and she quietly followed behind this person.

When he walked to a relatively secluded spot and was just about to pull out his "gear," Qianqian struck like a ghost, her hand-knife precisely chopping the back of his neck. With a "thud," the man collapsed, utterly defenseless.

Qianqian was quick-eyed and swift-handed, immediately dragging him to one side to avoid discovery by others.

Then, she skillfully stripped off his clothes and put them on herself.

Next, Qianqian swiftly stripped off his clothes and put them on herself.

Qianqian's build was somewhat slight among men, but fortunately her height was not too short; the clothes propped up on her body well enough, not looking that ridiculous. Once everything was ready, Qianqian trotted back into the army ranks.

On the other side, the man knocked unconscious by Qianqian only finally woke up groggily after about an hour. He only felt his head heavy, his neck aching unbearably.

While rubbing his neck, he struggled to recall what had just happened. Suddenly, he remembered he had originally gone to relieve himself, so how had he suddenly fainted?

Just as he was baffled, he suddenly felt as if there was something in his hand.

He looked closely — it was actually a silver note for one hundred taels! He instantly realized: he had been knocked unconscious by someone, and that person had even stuffed the silver note into his hand.

Looking again at the horse tethered to the tree nearby, a bold guess surged in his heart: someone wearing his clothes had infiltrated the military camp! This thought made his face instantly turn deathly pale, his heart beginning to race uncontrollably.

"What to do now?" he murmured to himself, completely unaware how long he had been out, nor what the person who infiltrated the camp might do.

Why did the person who took his clothes infiltrate the military camp, and how should he himself choose? The scales in his heart wavered in an instant.

On one side, that heavy one hundred taels of silver — a substantial fortune, enough for him to live without worry for the rest of his life; on the other, those unknown consequences — perhaps inviting trouble, but perhaps also passing safely.

After this brief hesitation, his heart was occupied by the desire for wealth.

After all, with this one hundred taels of silver, he could escape his current predicament and live a prosperous life. So he hesitated no longer; though wearing only an undershirt, he mounted the horse without care and galloped away.

Simultaneously, Qianqian on the other side returned to the ranks, secretly rejoicing in her heart.

She discovered no one had noticed she had been swapped, and this let her breathe a sigh of relief.

Originally, the Qi Family Army was divided into two camps: one composed of the Qi Family Army's veterans, located in Chunding City;

the other was the batch of Qi Family Army newly recruited this year — the camp Qianqian was in — located in Chunning City.

On the very night Ouyang Chengren agreed to Ouyang Chengqi, he dispatched Anye with his token rushing back to Chunning City, transferring the entire Qi Family Army there to Chunding City.

And yesterday afternoon, everyone gathered at the military camp in Chunding City; due to the urgency of time, they could only make do sleeping one night. This morning, they set out together.

Precisely because of this, Qianqian was able to blend into the ranks so smoothly.

The veterans saw her and thought she was a new recruit; the new recruits saw her and thought she was a veteran.

Everyone was unfamiliar with each other, so naturally no one harbored any suspicion toward her.

And as they walked, Qianqian suddenly saw a familiar figure at the rear of the column; she looked closely — it really was someone she knew! So Qianqian quick-stepped over and lightly patted his shoulder.

The man felt someone pat him, turned back in puzzlement, and upon seeing it was Qianqian, he first froze, then asked with some confusion: "Brother, what business do you have?"