When they first arrived in Li City, a series of events occurred as if someone had been waiting for them there. Later, it was proven that even their trip to Li City had been pre - arranged.
This time, they had the same feeling again, as if someone was waiting for them here.
"If I could see her now, she'd be a dead woman," Ghost Lord sneered coldly.
"You suspect she's in Pyongyang?" Xiao Jinghan also caught on.
Yi Qing wasn't sure. If that was really the case, the Ping family was truly all - powerful.
Thinking back now, Ping Xinian was able to buy information from Concubine Xue. This not only meant that they had a connection but also that they knew each other well enough to know that the other had the information they wanted.
If the matter of the Ruyi Cake was related to the Ping family, then the Grand Princess and the Ping family probably had a special relationship.
"He Tai," Xiao Jinghan ordered He Tai to investigate.
If Ping Xinian was really in Pyongyang, this matter would be far from simple.
"That woman is much more formidable than you think," Ghost Lord said, looking at the distant lights. "The Ping family has been in business for a hundred years. During the Rebellion of the Deposed Emperor, the Ping family not only remained unscathed but also reaped many benefits. For a merchant family to achieve this, their capabilities cannot be underestimated."
Xiao Jinghan was aware of this. During the Rebellion of the Deposed Emperor, many princes were eager to seize power, and some of them were secretly funded. Some took sides, while others funded all the princes, ensuring a win no matter who ascended the throne.
As for those who failed, they only lost some money.
"Thank you for the reminder," Xiao Jinghan said, clasping his fists.
"Wow! It's not easy. You actually know how to say thank you," Ghost Lord joked.
"By the way, when you took out the Ruyi Cake, did the Ping family notice?" Yi Qing suddenly remembered.
"You can rest assured about my men. They definitely won't be discovered."
"Then tell your men to follow them for a while. After they leave the Pyongyang area, hijack the ship," Yi Qing said. She couldn't let these things flow into the capital.
"Doing things for you will cost money," Ghost Lord made a gesture asking for payment.
Yi Qing rummaged around and took out a coin, putting it on the table. "Here."
Ghost Lord was speechless for a moment but still took it. "I'll take that thing away..."
"You..." Yi Qing looked at Ghost Lord.
"That thing is a poison if taken in excess but a good medicine in the right amount. I need it," Ghost Lord said and got up to leave.
"If I find out that thing flows out from you, I won't spare you," Yi Qing threatened.
Ghost Lord waved his hand without turning back.
The situation had become even more complicated. It seemed that the matter of the son of the Prince of Min was also related to the Ping family. But the Ping family was already so powerful. What on earth was their purpose?
Ping Xinian knew that Marquis of Chunan had lent a ship to Xiao Jinghan to let him leave. She held the chess piece, not knowing how to make the next move.
Xiao Jinghan had been assassinated first, and then his ship had been burned. Yet, he remained calm and didn't pursue the matter at all.
She couldn't quite understand what was going on.
"Miss, General Xiao and his entourage are staying in the post - house. Marquis of Chunan has also prepared a ship. They will leave early tomorrow morning," Liu'er whispered.
"I see," Ping Xinian stared at the chessboard.
Yi Qing was the type to avenge every grievance, and Xiao Jinghan didn't put Marquis of Chunan in his eyes at all. Why was his attitude so strange about this matter?
"Miss, that batch of goods has been at the dock for three days. When will they be sent to the capital?" Liu'er asked again.
Ping Xinian simply threw the chess pieces into the chess basket. "The Grand Princess hasn't been released yet. It's too quiet in the capital. It's not normal. Send this batch of goods elsewhere."
"Yes."
Ping Xinian stared at the chessboard for a long time and then directly overturned it. "If you want to leave, I'll let you go."
The changes in the situation had always been out of her plan. Then she might as well abandon the plan.
Marquis of Chunan personally saw Xiao Jinghan and Yi Qing onto the ship. As long as the ship left Pyongyang, whatever happened to Xiao Jinghan had nothing to do with him.
Watching the ship leave, Marquis of Chunan let out a sigh of relief. As long as Xiao Jinghan could leave, he was willing to give the ship to him.
He just wondered when this rain would stop. It was so annoying.
Just two quarters of an hour after Xiao Jinghan's ship set sail, it started to leak and slowly sank completely.
Suddenly, many bamboo rafts appeared on the vast water surface.
One of the bamboo rafts was particularly large, with chairs and umbrellas on it. Ping Xinian was sitting on it.
"I want to see them alive or dead," she ordered. A group of water ghosts dived into the water.
Xiao Jinghan and Yi Qing were sitting in the carriage, looking at the water surface. They couldn't see clearly but knew what had happened. The ship they had been on had really sunk to the bottom.
"How did you guess?" Yi Qing blinked at Xiao Jinghan, looking eager to learn.
Xiao Jinghan's gaze was extremely gloomy. "He Tai."
At his order, He Tai led the secret guards straight to the middle of the river.
Ping Xinian had always wondered why Xiao Jinghan didn't pursue the matters in Pyongyang. It was just because they had met Chen Feiyan in Pyongyang, which had made Yi Qing jealous.
He knew that Yi Qing was eager to go home and didn't want to waste time on this. But when someone repeatedly tried to kill Yi Qing, Xiao Jinghan couldn't tolerate it.
Ping Xinian was shocked and knew that she had been tricked, but it was too late. She jumped into the water, and the sound of fighting rang out on the water.
"You were sure that the other side didn't want us to leave Pyongyang alive," Yi Qing suddenly realized.
The previous two tricks were meant to sow discord between them and Marquis of Chunan. If Xiao Jinghan and Marquis of Chunan became suspicious of each other, the situation might get out of control, and then the other side could reap the benefits while hiding in the dark.
But Xiao Jinghan was eager to leave Pyongyang, leaving the other side no chance to act in Pyongyang. So they had to take a risky move.
"Don't worry. I won't let anything happen to you," Xiao Jinghan held Yi Qing in his arms.
He had said this many times, but every time he said it, he was a little scared because he knew very well that when he said such words, it was when Yi Qing might be in danger.
"With you here, I'm definitely at ease," Yi Qing snuggled closer into Xiao Jinghan's arms.
The fight below ended quickly. There was a faint redness on the river surface, but Yi Qing and the others couldn't see it from their position.
"General," He Tai clasped his fists. "Their leader escaped."
"Escaped?" Xiao Jinghan's voice was as cold as ice.
"I'm incompetent," He Tai knelt down. "But the other side should be a woman."
Xiao Jinghan and Yi Qing looked at each other. They only knew one such powerful woman.
"Return to Pyongyang," Xiao Jinghan ordered. "You lead men to search both sides of the river. Don't miss any suspicious places."
"Yes," He Tai took the order.
Since someone didn't want him to leave Pyongyang alive, then he would make that person die in Pyongyang.
"I guess she's already gone downstream along the river," Yi Qing said, looking at the water surface shrouded in mist. If it was really Ping Xinian, being able to escape so calmly, she must have had a plan.