TCN: Mei Gongqing

Chapter 111: The Chens' State of Affairs

Chapter 111: The Chens' State of Affairs

Ran Min had always been decisive with his actions. He made some preparations and then took Chen Rong to Nan'yang early morning of the very next day.

He had changed into an ordinary scholar's robe, while Chen Rong was also donning a lad's outfit in light blue with a straw hat over her head. If not for such disguise, her graceful figure would have no hope of being concealed.

The entrance was behind a mountain cleft on the west side of Nan'yang. Ran Min gave his mount and weapon to his bodyguard and then led Chen Rong by the hand into the tunnel.

The passage was both small and narrow, and could only accommodate a stooping person. As Ran Min led the way in the front, Chen Rong looked at him and quietly asked, "General, you didn't bring any bodyguard with you. Will it be alright?"

Ran Min's muffled voice rang in the tunnel: "There's nothing to worry about as long as the Prince of Nan'yang doesn't detect us."

He smirked and added mockingly, "We scholars of the Jin Court are elegant and mild; very few of us know how to use brute strength. Rest assured missy, they will only suffer if they run into me." Rather than mockery, Chen Rong thought she had heard in his voice a sense of wistfulness.

They were surrounded by a pack of wolves, yet the Jin Court was filled with nobles competing for splendor and literati competing in grace. Sometimes, even Chen Rong felt rueful herself. Of course, these excess feelings hadn't existed until her marriage to Ran Min.

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In the pitch black tunnel, Ran Min raised the torch and teetered ahead. With him in front, Chen Rong did not think the passage was very gloomy. Before she knew it, the 400 paces or so of passage came to a dead-end.

Ran Min handed her the torch and slowly pushed a boulder open.

Light spilled into Chen Rong's eyes.

Ran Min jumped out, looked down and offered his hand: "Come up."

Chen Rong put the torch out and carefully put it away, then took his hand and jumped up.

She was standing in the stable of an abandoned house. The tunnel exit had been from an old shallow well. The stable was vacant and had accumulated layers upon layers of dirt and leaves. No one had apparently been here for a long time.

Chen Rong looked back at the tunnel and said to herself, "I thought there would be some kind of mechanism, turns out it was just a heavy stone blocking the door." Such a stone would indeed be impossible for a weakling to move.

Chen Rong looked around only to see that Ran Min had put his wide-rim hat on and walked off.

She chased after him.

A dilapidated wall came into sight within 300 steps from the stable, beyond which was an alley. Another 200 steps from there took them to Nanyang's South Street.

As she walked on South Street and as she observed the dread on people's faces and the closed houses, Chen Rong suddenly felt ages had gone by.

They weaved in the crowd until the Chens' door appeared to them about an hour later.

At this time, Ran Min's footsteps took a turn as he walked toward an open restaurant.

It had once been a bustling joint, but the dining hall that could accommodate 100 guests was now woefully empty. Seeing the pair come in, the owner miserably glanced at them and gave a weak welcome: "Gentlemen, we have neither wine nor roast. All we have is some chestnut porridge. Will that serve you?"