Wei Dongling's gaze fell on the ghost - face mask on the table. The extremely terrifying face on the mask curled its lips in a half - smile, sending shivers down one's spine.
Wei Dongling sat in deep thought for a long while, like an old monk in meditation. Then she instructed Ruan Niang, "First, ask Uncle Li to quietly find out about the details of the Prince Rui. It's very likely that Grandpa Su is in his hands. I still have other things to do here and can't return to the capital for the time being."
Ruan Niang hesitated, "But your body can hardly bear such hardships!"
Wei Dongling lowered her eyes and said, "It doesn't matter. This body was never mine in the first place."
Ruan Niang didn't pay much attention to this remark. She just thought it was crazy talk out of Wei Dongling's grief over Shangguan Yun's death. Ruan Niang asked hesitantly, "However, we've had some acquaintance with Prince Xiao Murong Xuan. If he knows that we're secretly investigating his father's details, won't it be a bit..."
A look of blankness flashed across Wei Dongling's eyes. She murmured, "Saving Grandpa Su is the most important thing. I can't care about so many things." If a rift were to develop between her and Murong Xuan because of this in the future, there would be nothing she could do. After all, as far as she knew, the Prince Rui had private contacts with the Zhao family!
Ruan Niang nodded. She used the Nine - Needle Reviving Technique to stabilize several important acupoints on Wei Dongling's body. Then she carefully wrote out a prescription and gave it to Jingzhe to go buy the medicine.
Wei Dongling called Cheng Hao in and asked him to go back to the capital to get her former dowry items and exchange them for silver notes.
Cheng Hao asked in astonishment, "Exchange all those gold, silver, and jewels for silver notes?!" The amount was incredibly huge! Wei Dongling actually trusted him so much that she let him exchange them into silver notes and bring them all here?
What did Miss Wei need so much money for? Was she planning to move the whole family and seek a new way out? But he was injured. What if something went wrong on the way and the money was lost? How could he explain it?
Seeing the cold sweat sliding down Cheng Hao's forehead, Wei Dongling immediately understood his concerns. She waved her hand and said, "I'm not going back to the capital. I'm planning to go to Hanzhong City. I guess the journey ahead will be quite arduous. You're injured, so it's quite suitable for you to run this errand. If you're worried about the inconvenience of transferring a large amount of wealth, you can invite Uncle Luo to go with you."
It was the Spring Festival recently. The way Cuihuan hugged a broken wooden hairpin and missed Luo Xunlong before going to bed really made people feel sour!
Cheng Hao nodded. If he had a powerful fighter like Luo Xunlong by his side, he wouldn't be afraid of anything!
But why did Miss Wei choose to go to that desolate Hanzhong City? Although it was not impossible to move the whole family there. It was far away from the emperor and one could enjoy freedom. However, there were constant wars there and the climate was not very pleasant.
Anyway, it didn't really matter. Wherever they went, they could still make taro balls!
Without saying a word, Cheng Hao simply packed his luggage and took the wound medicine prepared by Ruan Niang and headed back to the capital.
After Pin Hao heard the news, he rushed in impatiently. Facing Wei Dongling, who was packing her things, he roared, "You're not going back to the capital but planning to go to Hanzhong City?"
"Yes."
"Are you crazy?" Pin Hao was so angry that his face turned red. He shouted furiously, "The heir sacrificed his life to protect you! Now you're going to Hanzhong to court death? Do you know that the Iron Cavalry Army is eyeing Hanzhong covetously and intends to attack it, while our imperial soldiers are less than 80,000! They're still struggling hard! Now that the heir is gone, it's only a matter of time before Hanzhong City falls!" The heir gave his life to save yours, but now you don't cherish it at all?
Wei Dongling gave Pin Hao a cold look and asked in a low voice, "Can you leave the Ninth Prince alone? Can you leave all the generals under Heir Yun alone?"
Pin Hao was almost laughed out of anger. He roared, "What can you people do even if you go to Hanzhong City? Do you think you can reverse the situation?" The Ninth Prince would be lucky if you didn't cause any trouble!
Facing Pin Hao's barrage of accusations, Wei Dongling stroked the ghost - face mask in her hand, took a deep breath, and said coldly to Pin Hao, "I've made up my mind to go. I'm going to Hanzhong to meet the Ninth Prince! If you're not willing, you can choose to stay or leave as you like!"
Saying that, Wei Dongling turned around and ignored Pin Hao.
Pin Hao stood there stunned, looking at Wei Dongling's thin but determined figure. His cold face turned as black as charcoal. He was ordered by Heir Yun to protect Wei Dongling with all his might, but this woman was so ungrateful! He was so angry that he really wanted to just leave and go back to the capital.
But what could he do if he went back to the capital? Every bit of the Prince's Mansion was filled with Heir Yun's memories. He was afraid that just one more look would make him, a tough man, feel heart - broken.
Pin Hao had nowhere to vent his anger. He could only grit his teeth and bear it. He took the secret guards back to the room to pack their luggage.
Early the next morning, Jingzhe drove the carriage and took everyone on the road in the wind and snow, heading towards Hanzhong City all the way.
Even though Ruan Niang gave her acupuncture and hot compresses every night, Wei Dongling's hands and feet were still as cold as ice that never melted. But she just wouldn't rest properly. Every night, she would hold Heir Yun's pear - wood guqin and play the same tune on repeat, which made people's ears tired.
Pin Hao went from being extremely angry at first to being helpless and then impatiently sitting opposite Wei Dongling, pointing out which parts she played badly and which parts were wrong! This made Cuihuan quite speechless.
Pin Hao: Can it be my fault that she plays so badly?
After five days, Wei Dongling's guqin skills improved. When she played again, the tune was smooth, and one could faintly hear the loneliness that the heir had when he played.
Pin Hao: Humph! She's just aping someone clumsily! Even if she practiced the guqin day and night from now until she was old, she couldn't be half as good as our heir!
Jingzhe stood on the uphill and looked at the sunset in the distance. He came back to report, "Miss Wei! We'll be able to reach Hanzhong City in about two days. Do you think we should send a visiting card to the Ninth Prince first?"
Wei Dongling played with the ghost - face mask in her hand and replied without looking up, "No need. You and Cuihuan will go to the Iron Cavalry Army's camp with me. The others should wait in hiding."
Hearing this, Pin Hao wanted to jump up and scold again. Was this woman crazy? Did she want to offer her head from afar?
On the night of the ninth day of the first lunar month, Wei Dongling carefully dressed herself in front of the bronze mirror. She painted her pretty face to look mottled and terrifying. Then she put on a big black cloak and carefully modified her exposed neck and hands, covering them with fake skins that were hardly distinguishable by the naked eye. Finally, she carefully put on the ghost - face mask. After doing all this, she looked at herself in the mirror and asked Jingzhe quite satisfactorily, "Do I look a bit similar like this?"
Jingzhe guessed Wei Dongling's intention. There was a faint sadness in his heart. He didn't want to see her put herself in danger. But that woman was so stubborn. Once she made a decision, even a hundred donkeys couldn't pull her back. Jingzhe sighed helplessly, "You do look a bit similar."
Wei Dongling with the mask on nodded slightly, seemingly quite satisfied with Jingzhe's answer.