Chapter 491: Token

The next morning.

Li Miao, Wu Mingxiao, and Zhao Ying, who was holding the child, walked out of the city gate of Fukan County, leaped onto the horses led from the Huang Manor, and set off.

Behind them were countless commoners, lined up along the city gate, watching the backs of the three.

Among them, some held their wives, faces full of joy; others had white cloth wrapped around their heads, holding their children and weeping. But in the end, they had finally escaped from the cage constructed by Huangfu Hui.

In the crowd, Zhao Dabao suddenly rushed forward a few steps, cupped his hands around his mouth, and shouted loudly.

"Hero Li—"

"We, we will build a living shrine for you; what is your name, can you tell us—"

Ahead, Li Miao had already ridden a hundred paces, his back already so small it was blurry; Zhao Dabao could only vaguely see him raise a hand to wave, then turn a corner and disappear from view.

Zhao Dabao sat down on the ground abruptly, sobbing uncontrollably.

The surrounding crowd also emitted faint sobs; how much was because of Li Miao, how much because of themselves, and how much because of their departed family and old friends, was already hard to say.

The crowd lingered for a while.

It wasn't until an hour later that Zhao Dabao managed to stop his tears, slowly stood up, took his child from a neighbor, and prepared to go home to arrange the funeral for his wife who had died in the Huang Manor.

But just as he turned around, he heard a cry of alarm from behind.

Immediately after, he felt the ground tremble.

Zhao Dabao hurriedly turned his head, his face turning pale instantly.

On the very road Li Miao had left on, a fully equipped military horse charged out.

Following that, the sound of hooves thundered, and dozens of horses charged out right behind.

The cavalry charged rapidly toward Fukan County.

Sitting on the lead horse was a woman, dressed in profound black martial attire, draped in a bear-skin cloak... her attire was somewhat similar to Li Miao's, only her figure was much more petite than his; a long sword with a black scabbard and white patterns hung at her waist, rising and falling with the horse's hooves. Her appearance was beautiful, but her temperament was as cold as ice, making Zhao Dabao feel chilled to the bone from dozens of paces away.

In a flash, the cavalry charged close to the crowd.

The lead woman leaped off her horse and pointed left and right.

The cavalry behind her dispersed, surrounding the commoners who were about to flee in fear, slowly closing in. Although the Embroidered Uniform Guard sabers at their waists were not drawn, they already made the commoners turn pale in unison.

Zhao Dabao swallowed his saliva.

He forced himself to walk out of the crowd, approached the woman under her cold, piercing gaze, and his knees went weak, about to kneel.

"We—"

Before his knees could hit the ground, a hand supported his arm, slowly lifting him up.

At the same time, a cold female voice rang in his ears.

"No need to kneel; we of the Embroidered Uniform Guard are not short of people to kowtow."

"I am Mei Qinghe, a Battalion Commander of the Northern Imperial Guard Depot; you are the commoners of this Fukan County, right?"

"No need to panic; we of the Embroidered Uniform Guard do not kill commoners."

Mei Qinghe's original intention was to get them to calm down and not flee everywhere, as it would be bad if they fell or got hurt in the panic.

But with her appearance, this tone, and this temperament, the commoners only heard the word "kill," and instantly became even more chaotic, with the rescued women and children wailing in despair; the scene became uncontrollable for a moment.

Mei Qinghe held Zhao Dabao's trembling arm, just about to add a few words, when a male voice came from behind, saying with a smile.

"Battalion Commander Mei, let me handle it."

As he spoke, a man wearing a bull-fighting robe, with an Embroidered Uniform Guard saber at his waist, his posture loose and shoulders slouched—looking more like a playboy than an Embroidered Uniform Guard—walked out and shouted abruptly.

"Everyone shut up!"

"Don't move! This official is the Vice Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, son of the current Senior Grand Secretary, Zhu Yijing! Move again, and I'll have your entire families executed!"

The commotion in the crowd finally stopped.

Zhu Yijing smiled and continued.

"Alright, I can't be bothered to explain how illustrious my background is to you all; in any case, you know the Great Ming is surnamed Zhu, and I am also surnamed Zhu! I don't care for the heads of you commoners! Did you hear me!"

The crowd quieted down.

Clearly, to them, Zhu Yijing's "don't care for" was much more convincing than Mei Qinghe's "do not kill commoners."

So Zhu Yijing continued.

"If you heard me, get the hell home, and don't come out until tomorrow!"

"Get out!"

The surrounding Embroidered Uniform Guards stepped forward, "squeezed" the crowd into the city gate, and then dispersed, driving the commoners back to their homes.

Mei Qinghe sighed and nodded at Zhu Yijing.

"Many thanks, Vice Commander."

Zhu Yijing said with a smile. ===== CHAPTER 492 =====