"This is not urgent." Ning Xiuyun waved his hand and said to Shen San: "Is that Yuan Niang awake?"
Jian Xun was still thinking about how to ask Fu Jing about the banditry in Xishan The information was brought back to consciousness by the prince's words of "Yuan Niang".
Why is it this Yuan Niang again? He couldn't help but frown.
"You're awake, my subordinates will go and bring him here." During the short time that Shen San went to take Yuan Niang to his side, Jian Xun frequently looked at the prince sideways.
The night was dark and the prince was wearing a mask. It was difficult for Jian Xun to guess what the prince was thinking through his expression.
Could the prince really be interested in Yuanniang? But is now the time for romance?
The free guard at the side pulled a chair for the prince. Ning Xiuyun sat down on the chair. When he looked up, he saw Jian Xun's expression was tangled and his fingers were tapping the scabbard impatiently.
Just by looking at this expression, Ning Xiuyun knew that Jian Xun was thinking wildly again. He said with a smile: "Since that Yuan Niang is a native of Xishan and her family is a hunter, she might know the terrain of Xishan better than these bandits now. What does Jian Qing think?"
Jian Xun paused and said, "The terrain of Xishan is complicated, and it is indeed better to have local people with you."
Ning Xiuyun said, "But that Yuan Niang is not a native of Xishan."
Jian Xun: "?"
Seeing Jian Xun's confused look, Ning Xiuyun explained: "The woman wears her hair in a woman's bun, but there is only a thin layer of calluses on her fingers. She doesn't look like she often does rough work, and she looks more like a pampered young lady at home. ."
As soon as he finished speaking, Shen San came back with Yuan Niang.
The woman was in shock, with a confused look on her face, as if she didn't understand how things had developed to this point as soon as she opened her eyes.
It turned out that these two young men were not just passing by, but came specifically to investigate Lijia Village.
Yuan Niang pinched the hem of her clothes and said tremblingly: "You two young masters...what happened today is not what I wanted. I hope you two don't mind."
Ning Xiuyun waved her hands and didn't care. Neither of them cared. The injured one was Yuan Niang, because Jian Xun slashed her neck with a knife, leaving a terrible mark.
Jian Xun didn't know how to write the four words "love the fragrance and cherish the jade" at all, so he didn't know how to deal with it.
"Nothing. I just want to ask, are you from Xuancheng?" Ning Xiuyun asked.
Yuanniang raised her head in surprise when she heard this. She had never told anyone about this. Even the bandits who kidnapped her thought she was the daughter of an Orion. She pursed her lips and didn't know how to speak. In the end, she just said: "Yes... ...But my husband is indeed a hunter in the Western Mountains and was killed by bandits in the Western Mountains. If the two young masters intend to suppress the bandits, I will do my best to help."
Ning Xiuyun pondered and asked, "How much do you know about the terrain of the Western Mountains?"
Yuan Niang said cautiously: "Nine times out of ten, I have followed my husband to collect mushrooms in the mountains."
"Okay." Ning Xiuyun nodded slightly and raised his hand to greet Shen San: "Send someone to escort her back to Jiangcheng. The remaining The gangsters are also being escorted back, so move quickly."
Yuan Niang's eyes lit up, and her voice trembled as she said, "Thank you, Master."
Shen San responded, "Yes."
The guards received the order and acted in an orderly manner. Two idlers, Jian Xun and Ning Xiuyun, were sent down.
Jian Xun watched Shen San let people take the Yuan Niang away, and asked with confusion: "Young master knows that the woman has a relationship with Xuancheng, why don't you ask clearly?"
Ning Xiuyun sighed and said: " If anyone likes you in the future, they will have to suffer a lot."
Jian Xun looked at him with a puzzled look.
Ning Xiuyun stretched out his hand, tapped Jian Xun's forehead hard with his crooked fingers, and said, "Since she doesn't want to speak, she has cut off contact with her family. Why mention her sad things."
Jian Xun took a sip. Lip, didn't think so: "She was robbed with the bandits anyway, so she had to be on guard."
Although the woman was rescued by them, this person had lived under the oppression of the bandits for at least more than a month. Who knows what was going on in her heart? Have some ideas.
Ning Xiuyun looked at him with a little surprise. He didn't expect that he would also have some conspiracy theories in his mind. He approved: "Indeed. That's why I won't use her. The same goes for the prisoners I captured."
"What is going on on the west mountain? I will personally send people to investigate. And even if I find out the situation in the bandit camp, I won't be able to do anything in three seconds."
Jian Xun tightened his grip on the long knife in his hand, suppressing his anxiety, asked: "If the bandits are suppressed one day later, the people who will be kidnapped will be in greater danger."
"Indeed." Ning Xiuyun sighed deeply and said, "But do you think Jiangcheng now has enough power to suppress the bandits?"
Jian Xun was stunned and thought of the current situation in Jiangcheng.
The aristocratic family is arrogant and domineering, and the garrison camp is vulnerable. The prince's guard battalion can barely compete with the aristocratic family, and the remaining group of imperial guards is also a necessary force to protect the southern patrol convoy.
The prince's southern tour has not yet ended. Next, he has to go to southern Xinjiang, and then go north back to the capital. On this long journey, losing a guard will make the prince more dangerous.
Jian Xun also understood that the matter was very difficult, but he was still emotionally annoyed: "Are we going to let these gangsters continue to run rampant?"
Ning Xiuyun slightly curled his lips and said slyly: "Did I say so?"
Jian Xun choked and said Seeing the prince looking at him with interest: "Say a few nice words and I'll tell you how to break the situation."
Jian Xun slowly pulled the corners of his mouth into a straight line. He was clumsy and had no idea what to say, so he muttered : "Please enlighten me, Your Highness."
Jian Xun said this sincerely. It could be said that he had never cared much about the identity of the other prince under the prince's command. Although he had no hatred for the royal family, he did not have any respect at all.
But if it was the person in front of him, Jian Xun thought it would be okay to be respectful once.
But Ning Xiuyun "tsk" in his heart, he was so amused that Jian Xun even called out "Your Highness".
When they left the camp, the two of them had discussed that they would not use honorifics this time and would treat each other as friends. Ning Xiuyun felt that getting along like this would make them appear closer, but now it was good, and they could return to their original form with just one sentence.
"You barely pass." Ning Xiuyun waved his hand and said, "Go back to the camp first."
Shen San also had to arrange the escort of the prisoners. The two of them rode back to the camp alone. In the middle of the night, only the moonlight barely illuminated the two of them. People ride horses side by side.
Jian Xun turned his head from time to time to pay attention to the prince's condition.
In fact, starting from the camp earlier, Jian Xun could tell that the prince was not very skilled in riding a horse. It must have been a long time since he had ridden a horse himself.
But looking at it now, there is no sense of stagnation at all.
Jian Xun fulfilled his duty as a guard and kept an eye on the prince's situation. Ning Xiuyun also kept looking at Jian Xun with a hidden look.
Under the moonlight, Jian Xun was wearing a black riding uniform, with broad shoulders and a narrow waist, and a short sword. He looked like a knight walking in the rivers and lakes, but if he put on a military uniform, it would probably be more in line with the heroic spirit of the young general.
This was the first time for the two of them to be alone and ride horses together under the moonlight. However, the time they rode together in Zhuangzi on the outskirts of the city, Ning Xiuyun leaned on Jian Xun, feeling intimate.
Ning Xiuyun enjoyed such silent interactions, which made him calm down, just like painting at night in Zui Feng Tower. Unfortunately, such time was always short-lived.
When the two returned to the camp, it was still very lively. Most of the people who entered the mountain had a good harvest. They lit a bonfire in the camp and picked some prey to roast.
Perhaps because the prince did not show up, these people were not restrained, but consciously lowered their voices. They could only hear the crackling of fire burning dry wood, and the sound of subtle conversations interspersed among them.
The faint firelight illuminated most of the camp, and the slight smell of blood mixed with the aroma of roasted meat made Ning Xiuyun frown and almost vomit after dismounting.
Ning Xiuyun and Jian Xun entered the camp quietly, with Shen Qi outside to support them, so no one else could notice.
Walking around from the back of the dim camp to the prince's main tent, the guards let the two people in.
As soon as he entered the door, he saw Pei Yan sitting at the table playing chess with himself. On the makeshift couch on the right, Doctor Zhang was changing the dressing for the injured boy.
It was clear that Pei Yan was sitting there. Although he was smiling slightly, the impatience in his body was almost overflowing. He held a white piece in his hand, but his hand hovered outside the chessboard and did not fall down.
When he saw the two people coming back, he stood up from the table and looked at them with eyes that seemed to say: "You still know about coming back?"
Ning Xiuyun nodded in greeting, and his attitude towards Pei Yan was surprisingly good: "Pei Qing is tired today, go back and have a good rest."
Ning Xiuyun and Shen Qi had a brief exchange just now, and the other party said that Pei Yan was doing his best. His Highness refused everyone's visit on the grounds of being unwell and stayed in the camp for half a day.
Pei Yan helped refuse tonight's gathering, so Ning Xiuyun didn't have to rush to show his face. He was quite satisfied with Pei Yan's knowledge.
Pei Yan threw the white pieces in his hand on the table and said with a smile: "This is a matter for minor ministers."
He stared at the prince, waiting for Ning Xiuyun to explain to him why he brought guards again. After a private visit incognito, Pei Yan even took off his hairpin when he came back. If it weren't for the iconic mask on his face, Pei Yan almost didn't dare to recognize him.
However, the prince did not take the initiative to say anything else to him. He just led Jian Xun to the makeshift couch and asked Dr. Zhang, "How is he doing?"
Dr. Zhang had just bandaged the young man's wound and saluted and replied, "No more." It's serious, but I'm afraid it will take a few months of training before he can walk on the ground. He woke up once in the middle, but soon passed out again."
Ning Xiuyun nodded and said, "I entrusted him to you."
Doctor Zhang: "We must do our best."
Ning Xiuyun walked to the soft couch and sat down, waving to Jian Xun: "That Fu Jing, are you following me to hunt?"
Jian Xun said: "Here he is. It should be in Master Fu's camp."
Ning Xiuyun touched his chin and asked, "Will he tell the truth to Gu?"
"This..." Jian Xun hesitated and had no conclusion.
Previously, Fu Jing had gone his own way and tampered with the list of guests for the reception banquet, just to meet the prince. Fu Jing wanted to see the prince's personality and character with his own eyes. He probably had the idea of reporting the banditry to the prince.
However, some time has passed since the reception banquet, but there has been no movement from Fu Jing's side. Is the other party delayed by other things, or does he think that the prince is unreliable and plans to find another way?
Seeing that he couldn't explain the reason, Ning Xiuyun ordered: "It's okay. He only needs to tell you what he knows. Go ahead."
Jian Xun nodded in agreement, turned around and slowly walked out of the tent, passing by Pei Yan who was standing there.
Ning Xiuyun's eyes followed Jian Xun's back, and then he realized that Pei Yan was still staying with the battalion commander.
He couldn't help but raise his eyebrows, wondering why this person was still there.
The veins on Pei Yan's forehead were pulsing. He could tell at a glance that the prince had forgotten about him, but he had been oppressed in the battalion commander's room for a long time. How could Pei Yan just give up.
He took a few steps forward and said, "Don't you, Your Highness, have anything to say to me?"
Ning Xiuyun seemed to be thinking, and for a moment he seemed to suddenly realize: "The scenery of the Western Mountains is picturesque. I took a tour with Jian Qing and found it very beautiful. , Pei Qing can also try it tomorrow."
Pei Yan: "..."
Do you really think he is blind?
Pei Yan: Let's see how he explains it to me when he comes back.
Ning Xiuyun: Laughing to death, no explanation at all.