Guo Rong feigned a stern face: "My principle, you know very well, the secret to my longevity is to mind my own business and not help with family matters."
Xu Jingyang handed over a gift, a pot of Huadiao wine.
"Thirty-year-aged wine, Master, please accept it."
After she finished speaking, Guo Rong’s narrowed eyes suddenly widened.
He happily hugged the wine jar, opened the stopper and took a sip.
"Fragrant! It’s the flavor I like."
"Then the matter of borrowing someone to protect Madam Han…"
"Three days, just three days, not a day more." Guo Rong said, glancing sideways.
Xu Jingyang pursed her lips: "One month. I'll go to suppress the bandits, and afterwards I will proactively resolve the hidden danger, and will not trouble Master again."
Hearing this, Guo Rong suddenly frowned: "Suppressing bandits? Could it be that you're talking about those Greenwood Heroes on the Left Pan Mountain path?"
Xu Jingyang: "Master actually knows them?"
Guo Rong stared at her silently.
Suddenly, he calmly placed the wine jar aside.
"People, I will send them to you, let alone a month, protecting them for a year is fine, but you must not go to suppress the bandits."
"…Master, if we don't eliminate these mountain bandits, it will cause great disaster in the future. I'm doing this not only for my own reasons, but also to exterminate evildoers."
Xu Jingyang added after speaking: "They will sooner or later become a major threat to the Emperor’s heart."
She merely wanted to present the corpses of these people to the Emperor when he was enraged.
The autumn wind blew, and Guo Rong's expression was unpredictable.
"Girl Jingyang, some mountain bandits are not ordinary people. If you provoke them, it's hard to say who you'll offend."
These words were profound, but Xu Jingyang understood.
Could there be forces in the Imperial Court behind these mountain bandits?
Then their impending abduction of the Old Princess Consort was not an accident, but possibly deliberate!
Thinking this way, Xu Jingyang felt that she must go.
"Master, I have made up my mind, even if the road ahead is a sea of fire, I will charge through it!"
"You…" Guo Rong stared at her phoenix eyes.
Once Xu Jingyang decided to do something, her eyes always burned with a fiery black flame.
Guo Rong recalled ten years ago, when Xu Jingyang, nearly fourteen years old, stood before him and told him that she wanted to go to the border with her older brother.
At that time, he also forbade her from going, but this girl kowtowed to him and then left without hesitation.
Finally, Guo Rong laughed: "Alright, Master is old, and doesn't have that kind of adventurous spirit. If you've decided, then go do it."
Having said that, Second Master Xuanming happened to return, and Guo Rong raised the Huadiao wine.
"Girl Jingyang gave this to me, old friend, let's cut some boiled pig's head for lunch, and we'll have a good drink!"
Xu Jingyang greeted Xuanming, promising him that she would send him a string of prayer beads next time.
After that, she went back.
As soon as she left, Guo Rong stared at the jar of Huadiao wine, speechless for a long time.
Xuanming walked over, putting down his hat, his face compassionate: "Girl Jingyang encountered some trouble again?"
Guo Rong didn't speak for a long time, only sighing.
"This child is pitiful, fighting alone, step by step to this day, she still has to go against the wind. Xuanming, I'm really afraid that she'll exhaust herself one day."
"She doesn't know yet, you've already guessed her true identity, right?"
"Girl Jingyang is so smart, she should have guessed, but we master and disciple just tacitly understand." Guo Rong smiled, his eyes full of pride.
When the reputation of Grand General Shence first spread back to the Capital City, he was certain that it was his disciple, Xu Jingyang.
This is the child he taught personally, pouring all his life's learning into her.
When the world cheered for the name of Grand General Shence Xu Jinghan, only he and Xuanming cheered for Xu Jingyang.
His good disciple has never disgraced him.
Xu Jingyang settled Madam Han, and the people Guo Rong arranged were nearby, protecting them well.
This time Xu Jingyang did not seek out Xiao Heye, she still had some concerns.
Xiao Heye was the Crown Prince's younger brother. Xu Jingyang didn't distrust him, but she habitually guarded against one thing.
Several days passed.
The Crown Prince lost his temper in the East Palace.
He summoned Chasing Shadow, the head of the Shadow Strike Camp.
"What do you mean, you can't find the people, nor the end point of the marker?" The Crown Prince flew into a rage, throwing the secret report at Chasing Shadow.
"This subordinate, following Your Highness's orders, sent people to follow Madam Han, but unexpectedly, Twelve and Fifteen disappeared just like that, and Madam Han's family also disappeared as if out of thin air. My men found traces of glowstone left by Twelve and others in Tiger Mountain, but after running for three or four days, it was like they were going in circles, the marker must have gone wrong…"
Chasing Shadow dared not continue, bowing: "This subordinate has been incompetent, please punish the Crown Prince!"
The Crown Prince's eyes were icy cold: "Useless. You can't even handle this small matter? Has any news come back from the border?"
Chasing Shadow: "Han Bao is tight-lipped, insisting that Xu Jinghan and Xu Jingyang are siblings. His Shence Army unit is even more united. My men went, but they couldn't find any flaws."
The Crown Prince pinched his brow: "Get out."
Chasing Shadow quickly retreated.
The light and shadow slanted, the Crown Prince's handsome, cold-white face looked gloomy.
Gone was his usual refined gentleness, his brows and eyes were filled with sinister killing intent.
Even if Grand General Shence died without a whole corpse, his death would not be so clean, as clean as if it had been deliberately erased.
Key items were all gone, and the excuse was that they were in a hurry during the battle, and that the things that should have disappeared were unintentionally lost.
Han Bao was like a tough nut to crack, there was no breakthrough from him.
The Crown Prince had originally thought that if Han Bao was uncooperative, he would arrest his family, forcing Han Bao to choose between loyalty and family affection.
If he could grasp Xu Jingyang's biggest handle, it would save the Crown Prince a lot of trouble.
Alas, now Han Bao's wife and family are also missing.
Without asking, one knew that someone had deliberately protected them.
The Crown Prince knew who it was, it must be Xu Jingyang. She was too clever, to the extent that it made people more suspicious of her true identity.
"It seems that I still have to deal with you directly." A cold light flashed in the Crown Prince's eyes.
October 3rd was Guo Rong's seventy-third birthday.
In the customs of Great Yan, there is a saying, "Seventy-three, eighty-four, King Yama doesn't call you to go himself", these two ages are considered a hurdle.
To overcome the hurdle, on the birthday, close family members must shoot the threshold, representing averting disaster.
Guo Rong had no family, Xu Jingyang was his closest disciple, and naturally had to attend.
So early in the morning, Xu Jingyang went to Guo Rong's mansion to help with the preparations.
She also called Lei Chuan and a group of Shence Army brothers to come and join the fun.
Guo Rong was formerly the Imperial Guard Commander, and had a very glorious past. Although he is now retired, his connections in the court are still solid.
Today, many nobles sent their family members as representatives to participate.
When Xu Jingyang arrived, Guo Rong pulled her around to introduce her: "This is Guo's only closed-door disciple. Please give her more convenience in the future."
Xu Jingyang's reputation has risen recently, and no one doesn't know her.
Immediately, everyone was respectful, and there was laughter and pleasantries.
The stage was just set up, and before the performer could begin, they suddenly heard someone noisily walking from the front yard.
The steward of Guo Rong's mansion was pushed into the courtyard, and everyone immediately put down their wine cups and frowned.
Zhao Xi led the way, followed by the soldiers led by Deputy General Zhao, a total of more than twenty people.
They were aggressive, with arrogant expressions on their faces.
Guo Rong's face darkened: "What are you doing?"
Zhao Xi bowed, her tone icy: "Commander Guo, I heard it's your birthday today?"
"Who are you?"
"It seems your memory is poor. When you were commander, you drove a lieutenant surnamed Zhao out of the Imperial Guard. I am the daughter of that lieutenant, Zhao Xi, daughter of Zhao Zhongde! I'm here to offer my congratulations!"
"