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The journey to Liang Wang's territory was a hundred miles long, and Marquis Xuanping had set off last night. Judging by his pace, if he wasn't stopped soon, he would coincidentally encounter the landslide and mudslide.
Every delay was dangerous.
Especially since messenger pigeons couldn't notify him as they were used to rescue villagers.
Messenger pigeons flew between major post stations, although there was a certain margin of error, like being shot down or eaten by birds of prey. But currently, this seemed to be the fastest and most convenient method.
Messenger pigeons couldn't fly in heavy rain either, so it must arrive at the post station before the storm hit and leave ample time to notify the yamen, which would then send soldiers to help the villagers evacuate.
On one side was Marquis Xuanping, on the other were the villagers.
Liu Quan couldn't enter the palace by himself.
If Liu Quan turned back to find Gu Jiao and then had Gu Jiao report the impending disaster to the Emperor, it would delay the rescue by at least half an hour.
Moreover, it wasn't certain if Gu Jiao was even home. Perhaps she was at the medical hall or on a house visit.
Going directly to the palace was the fastest way to rescue the villagers, but it would delay the search for Marquis Xuanping.
He had to choose between his biological father and hundreds of unrelated villagers.
"Liulang..." Liu Quan called him.
Xiao Heng's clenched fist trembled slightly, "To the palace!"
There were less than four hours left before it rained. The messenger pigeons had to reach the post station in the Prefectural City of Pingle before that!
In Huaqing Palace, the Emperor met Xiao Heng.
"How did you know it's going to rain in the Prefectural City of Pingle?" The Emperor asked in confusion.
Xiao Heng himself didn't know how Gu Jiao could predict weather from miles away. Naturally, he wouldn't mention it, as it would only add to the Emperor's suspicions. Besides, it wasn't the time to explore Gu Jiao's abilities. The focus was on rescuing the villagers who might be buried in mudslides.
Xiao Heng replied, "I met a merchant coming from the Prefectural City of Pingle. He said the sky has been particularly gloomy there these days, like it's about to rain. He also mentioned nearly being hit by falling rocks while passing near Xishui Village. I read in the books at the Hanlin Academy that these are signs of soil movement. If it really rains heavily, it will likely cause landslides and mudslides, and the villagers below the mountain will suffer!"
Fortunately, he had studied geography at the Hanlin Academy; otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to come up with such a plausible explanation.
Seeing the Emperor lost in thought, Xiao Heng said solemnly, "Your Majesty, over a hundred lives in Xishui Village are at stake. It's better to believe than to doubt!"
The Emperor's expression became serious, "If your speculation is true, then for the past year, the State of Zhao has faced both war and natural disasters. Is Heaven warning us of something?"
Xiao Heng quickly responded, "Your Majesty, saving lives is the priority!"
The Emperor sighed, "Understood, Zhen will send someone to the Prefectural City of Pingle immediately."
Xiao Heng insisted, "Time is of the essence, Your Majesty. We should prepare on both fronts and send the messenger pigeons first!"
The Emperor accepted Xiao Heng's suggestion and called Eunuch He to instruct him to act immediately.
After leaving Huaqing Palace, Xiao Heng boarded his carriage and asked Liu Quan, "Uncle Liu, have all the horses you arranged been replaced?"
"They have been replaced with the fastest warhorses from the imperial guards, but..." Liu Quan glanced worriedly at Xiao Heng's injured arm and leg, "Your injuries make it inconvenient for you to rush. I should go instead. If you think I can't catch up, send soldiers from the Ministry of Justice. Otherwise, seek the help of the Empress Dowager and the Empress to dispatch some imperial experts!"
Xiao Heng shook his head, "You can't stop him."
Marquis Xuanping was stubborn. Once he made up his mind, nothing could deter him.
Would he even believe the warning about the landslide?
He wouldn't.
Nor was he afraid.
If he were afraid, he wouldn't be Marquis Xuanping; he wouldn't have fought so many battles or attempted to assassinate the Emperor's granduncle.
"But Marquis left the capital yesterday, right? Can we catch up?" Liu Quan wasn't making excuses to avoid going. He really hoped to go himself and let Xiao Heng stay behind.
Xiao Heng took out a map with his right hand and looked at the route, "The mountain road is rugged. Even his horse can cover at most sixty miles a day. By noon today, he will have completed half the journey and entered the jurisdiction of the Prefectural City of Pingle. But there will be heavy rain ahead, which will greatly slow him down. We won't encounter rain if we depart from the capital now, allowing us to move faster and reach the Prefectural City of Pingle tonight. Then, the distance between us will be short."
Liu Quan exclaimed, "Short it may be, but as soon as we enter the Prefectural City of Pingle, there will be heavy rain. Even if the distance is short, it doesn't mean we can catch up. The rainfall in the territory won't just slow him down, but also us!"
Xiao Heng put away the map with one hand, "You make valid points."
Yet, he still had to go.
Liu Quan was both exasperated and concerned, "Fine, I finally understand why no one can stop Marquis Xuanping, and no one can stop you either, you father and son... both are single-minded!"
One was injured yet wanted to kill, and the other was injured yet wanted to save.
Xiao Heng's eyes sharpened, "Let's go!"
……
After noon, the Prefectural City of Pingle was like a toppled basin, with torrential rain pouring down, and pedestrians on the official road began to seek shelter from the rain.
The small tea stall that had little business was suddenly packed with people.
Among the diverse crowd, a tall and imposing figure stood out.
Firstly, his face, which could be considered the most handsome in the State of Zhao, was strikingly attractive wherever he stood. Secondly, his noble and domineering aura was so palpable that even his horse seemed fiercer than the others.
In the tea stall, a strange phenomenon occurred. To avoid the rain, everyone was packed shoulder to shoulder and foot to foot, but this man's table had no other seated customers.
Marquis Xuanping had never exuded such a strong sense of killing on the battlefield before. He was good-looking and always greeted people with a smile, belonging to the charming and amiable type.
Today, however, he was so consumed with the desire to vent his anger by tearing Old Liang Wang to pieces that he instantly became unapproachable, scaring off everyone around him.
Among the rain-sheltering customers was a group of lurking bandits.
However, the bandits were directly frightened.
Marquis Xuanping wasn't there to escape the rain, he was there to feed his horse. After his horse was fed, he intended to leave.
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a money pouch, which sparkled brightly when opened.
The tea stall owner's eyes lit up with greed.
However, after rummaging through the money pouch for a long time, Marquis Xuanping pulled out only a copper coin and placed it on the table.
The tea stall owner suspected he might be mistaken. It should be a silver coin, right?
Wasn't he a high-ranking noble? Would he really be so stingy?
The tea stall owner approached and carefully counted the coin three times.
Indeed, it was just a copper coin!
"My Lord!"
The tea stall owner dared to call out to Marquis Xuanping.
Marquis Xuanping, holding his horse, turned to look at him strangely.
The tea stall owner gestured with his eyes towards the single copper coin on the table.
It's too little; at least give two!
Marquis Xuanping responded with a knowing look and walked over.
The tea stall owner smiled knowingly.
The next moment, he saw Marquis Xuanping pick up the lone copper coin and put it back into his pocket.
The tea stall owner: "..."
Raz P.'s Thoughts
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