Daming: Internship also counts as work experience

Chapter 123 Finally, we can return to the capital!
After finding out where Shunzi and Old Zheng were hiding on the way, Jia Chuan ordered the remaining Jinyiwei guards to return to the mansion through the secret passage and inform Liu Mianhoutai that he had returned to the capital ahead of time because he knew who the people in the manor were. The matter was of great importance and he had to return to the capital in person to report.

Why not leave and wait for Zhu Gaoxu to come and kill him personally? Jia Chuan believed that what he knew now, or what Zhu Gaoxu thought he knew, would definitely force Zhu Gaoxu to raise the banner of rebellion ahead of time, and his mission could be said to have come to a perfect end.

……

At the same time, Zhu Gaoxu, along with his entourage and filled with rage, had just arrogantly ordered the city guards to open the city gates.

What Jia Chuan didn't know was that Gao Yunduo and Dong Yuanyuan had already gone out to test the waters yesterday, but the people watching from the Prince's Mansion didn't make a move. They reported the matter to Zhu Heng. At first, Zhu Heng suspected that it might be another trap. Jia Chuan's cunning made him apprehensive. However, the people watching had been observing for a day and found that the two mainly ate. They also went to several clothing stores, being very careful along the way. In the end, it was the thinner woman who forcibly pulled the fat woman back, persuading her to come back tomorrow. Only then did the fat woman stop struggling.

Zhu Heng thought about it again and again, and then reported the matter to Zhu Gaoxu. Zhu Heng said that the information he received was that Jia Chuan was very concerned about the safety of the people around him. This time, when people came from the capital, it was inconvenient for the two women to stay in the house, and they were very cautious on the day they moved out.

Zhu Gaoxu naturally valued this matter highly. He was determined to kill Jia Chuan, but those people refused to leave, which made his anger grow stronger. Now that he had the opportunity to capture the people around Jia Chuan, he could wait for Jia Chuan to come and die. How could Zhu Gaoxu let go of such a perfect opportunity?

But he also knew that with these people in the capital around, even if Jia Chuan found out and came with Liu Mian and Hou Tai to demand his release, he couldn't kill Jia Chuan even if he refused to release him, so he had to endure it.

What if we send it to the estate?
Zhu Heng analyzed: "The news came suddenly, and Jia Chuan values ​​these two women very much. He must have realized that the prince wanted to use them as hostages, so he will definitely bring enough men to the manor to rescue them. As for Liu Mian and Hou Tai, they should have advised Jia Chuan not to act rashly before receiving the imperial decree."

"They wouldn't dare get involved!" Zhu Gaoxu said confidently. "At most, they'll come to the Prince's mansion to see me, but Jia Chuan... after escaping so many times by sheer luck, he'll definitely underestimate us and take it upon himself to lead men to chase after us, waiting for him to leave the mansion and the city..."

So, not long after Gao Yunduo and Dong Yuanyuan went out the next day, after pretending to resist and almost escaping, they were dragged onto the carriage by several people from the Prince's Mansion.

Zhu Heng had considered everything very thoroughly, but who would go and inform Jia Chuan?
The Han Prince's mansion has people all over the city, but Jia Chuan doesn't have that many people to use. These two women were kidnapped and won't be discovered until they don't return home by a certain time, and then Jia Chuan will be notified. The time that might be wasted in between is hard to predict.

To make it easier for Jia Chuan's men to know that the two women had been taken to the estate, Zhu Heng deliberately emphasized that the commotion should be loud enough that Jia Chuan's men could easily find out that the two women had been taken away by the Prince's carriage, and that the carriage had left the city. This would also save some time.

However, it would take some time to get from the city gate to the village, so when Zhu Gaochi sent someone to the village to deliver a message, he said that it would be dark before anyone would come to attack the village.

But Zhu Gaoxu also hoped for a miracle, in case someone was secretly watching the two women around Jia Chuan.

So he ordered the carriage to slow down and wait.

If Jia Chuan could have received the news in time and chased after them swiftly, and captured them all at once, how wonderful that would have been!

As for whether making such a commotion would cause trouble for the Prince's residence, Zhu Gaoxu waved his hand and said, "I simply refuse to acknowledge it, what can they do to me?"

Unfortunately, there has been no news from the house.

Zhu Gaoxu waited for Liu Mian and Hou Tai to come and question him. As soon as the two left the house, Jia Chuan would lead his men out of the city. Zhu Gaoxu felt that he knew Jia Chuan well and that Jia Chuan would not listen to advice. As soon as the two left the house, Zhu Gaoxu would set off immediately.

Zhu Gaochi and the others were anxious and even wanted Qian Xun to go to the manor to report the news. Qian Xun was so frightened that his voice changed: "Your Highness, if Liu Mian asks how I learned about this, how should I answer? Should I say that the Prince's manor did indeed arrest someone and take them to the estate?"

Zhu Gaoxu thought about it and agreed; it was rather foolish to give someone a handle to use against you like that.

Zhu Heng advised Zhu Gaoxu not to rush, saying that the slower it was, the more it meant it wasn't a trap, and Zhu Gaoxu thought that made sense.

This logic...

But as darkness fell, there was still no movement from the house.

Not only was there no movement at Jia Chuan's house, but there was also no movement at the house where the two women lived.

That's not right. Those two should have gone home long ago. There are other people in the house. Why didn't anyone come out to look for them?

Zhu Heng began to panic. He wanted to figure out whether it was the prince's idea or his own yesterday. Why couldn't he remember?
Zhu Gaoxu was getting impatient. He considered several possibilities, and no matter which one, he had to go to the estate to check it out first.

So, as night fell, the city gates opened, and Zhu Gaoxu was the first to rush out.

……

Zhu Gaoxu saw the fire in the direction of the manor from afar. At that moment, he was a little excited. As long as Jia Chuan and his men were still there, it didn't matter that he was a little late.

But as he approached the village, he sensed something was amiss. Guards were leading the way with torches. Although Zhu Gaochi was small, he still had some sense. He noticed scattered footprints and hoofprints on the snow...

When he arrived at the gate of the manor, he saw the gate open and heard shouts related to water, but no shouts of killing.

Zhu Gaoxu considered a possibility, but he quickly dismissed it: Impossible! All those people who came must have been captured.

Lian Sheng was not injured. During the melee, he initially watched from the sidelines, but eventually found a relatively weak Jinyiwei (Imperial Guard) to fight. The two seemed to have agreed that neither of them would hurt the other, and their fight was quite harmonious.

But what Zhu Gaoxu saw was the manor lord covered in blood, with wounds on his arms and thighs.

……

Lian Sheng didn't know who Jia Chuan was. Zhu Gaoxu asked in detail, and Lian Sheng then realized that the one who ran to Yuyuan was Jia Chuan. The disciples who were transferred to the Prince's Mansion, especially the disciples whose master had died or was injured, remembered Jia Chuan's name.

At this moment, Jia Chuan, who was urging his horse to gallop towards the capital, sneezed several times in a row.

When Zhu Gaoxu heard that Jia Chuan had gone to Yuyuan, he felt not only anger but also a sense of panic.

He went to Jade Garden in person, and when he learned that the old man in front of him was worried that the fire would spread to Jade Garden, he actually led the man to take refuge in the waterside pavilion at the back. But just as they were leaving Jade Garden, they encountered a young man...

Zhu Gaoxu was enraged. He forgot who the old man in front of him was and actually reached out to grab the old man's collar. The old man gently pushed him away, and Zhu Gaoxu couldn't grab him. This made him even more furious. He roared, "Tie him up! Tie him up!"

The old man stood up, and Zhu Gaoxu took several steps back, his raging anger turning into flames.

The old man calmly said, "Your Highness, please don't be anxious. That young man asked me to pass on a message to you, saying that Jia Chuan knows everything." "What does he know? What could he possibly know?!"

The old man pointed to the man lying on the bed and said, "At least I know he's a jade craftsman, but I don't know anything else."

Zhu Gaoxu was stunned.

The Prince of Han's estate has mobilized martial arts masters to protect a jade craftsman. Why protect a jade craftsman? Who is this jade craftsman?

Jia Chuan said he knew, and if he knew, then Zhu Zhanji knew...

Zhu Gaoxu no longer felt anger; he knew he had no other way out.

……

Early in the morning, a group of people were resting by the roadside.

Shunzi and Lao Zhengtou had disguised themselves and left the city ahead of time with Wu Bing and the others. They were then settled in a house near the exit of the tunnel. Jia Chuan and the others picked up everyone without stopping, including those who had been taken away by Dong Yuanyuan in her car.

In short, the escape was chaotic. Wu Bing sent several men here and several men there. Jia Chuan and his men ran ahead, but because of the carriages following them, they couldn't pick up speed. He watched as the group gradually grew larger, but he didn't have time to stop and take a closer look. It wasn't until someone sent by Wu Bing came to report that the King of Han had arrived at the manor that Jia Chuan's heart finally settled down.

He ordered the Imperial Guards brought by Chen Mo to go ahead and report to the capital, which could be considered as calling for reinforcements. In case the Prince of Han's men suddenly appeared halfway, he would have something to look forward to.

They traveled at such a rapid pace throughout the night.

Jia Chuan also calculated the time before agreeing to rest by the roadside for half an hour after sunrise. He also had time to ask the Gao siblings and Wu Bing why they suddenly thought of going to the manor to cause trouble.
Gao Yunduo already had some internal injuries, and after riding a horse all night, her face was deathly pale. She sat cross-legged on the ground to regulate her breathing. Jia Chuan couldn't bear to press her for answers, so he pulled Gao Yuntian and Wu Bing aside. He had many questions: Why did Doctor Deng come along too? And why did he bring the prepared pills, saving them the trouble of brewing the medicine?

The mansion where Gao Yunduo and the others lived must have been closely watched by the people of the Prince's Mansion. How did Shunzi and Old Zheng get out?
Gao Yuntian said, "I'm not good with words and can't come up with any grand theories. I only know that everyone wants to share your burdens. We all know that if the people from the capital leave, we will all be punished by the Prince's Mansion. The best outcome is to save your life and hurriedly leave the city through the tunnel..."

"Are you really that unconfident that we can win a game just by relying on this house?"

Gao Yuntian waved his hand and said, "We've all fought with the people from the manor, and we know their skills. Actually, a few of us went with Brother Wu to test the house earlier. Let me put it this way, we couldn't stop the people from the manor. We could only stop those who were climbing over the wall and using the ladder. Once the people from the manor figured out our moves..."

Gao Yuntian shook his head.

Wu Bing interjected, "I didn't tell you because I was afraid you'd worry. Anyway, we're confident we can save your life."

Jia Chuan took a deep breath and asked, "I just don't know how many people will lose their lives for me, right?"

Gao Yuntian sighed and said, "In the end, since we know we can't escape or hold on, we might as well go to the manor and cause some trouble. This arrangement is also to give us a reason to rush into the manor. Even if we are to be punished in the future, with the Emperor's help, we can be considered 'excusable'. You know Duoduo's abilities, and with Yuanyuan... you said that there are things in the manor that the Prince of Han values ​​highly. As long as we go there, we might be able to find something useful, and then you can leave Le'an."

Jia Chuan rubbed his face, looked around, and asked, "If the Prince of Han's men intend to take Duoduo and Yuanyuan to the Prince's mansion first, and then do something else, then you will have no choice but to rescue them, and that is the most likely scenario..."

Wu Bing quickly said, "This isn't their first day out."

Jia Chuan immediately understood that Gao Yunduo and Dong Yuanyuan had tested the waters, and this testing process also gave the King of Han time to think about how to deal with the two people after they were captured.
Therefore, once Gao Yunduo and Dong Yuanyuan are arrested, the path they will take must have been pre-arranged. Even so, Wu Bing and his team made all sorts of possible preparations, which can be considered as thorough planning.

Jia Chuan scratched his nose and asked Wu Bing, "Does your courtyard also have secret passages?"

Wu Bing smiled and said, "It's not exactly a secret passage, but it is. It leads to a courtyard on the street ahead, which is the courtyard across the alley from the main gate of the residence. Everyone went there and then disguised themselves and left the city in batches."

Jia Chuan grunted in agreement and asked, "Where's Yu Yan? I haven't seen her."

Gao Yunduo, who was adjusting her breathing, opened her eyes.

“Her identity is rather special, and I felt it wasn’t appropriate to keep her with me, so I left her in the village. We’ll see how to settle things after things have settled down.”

Jia Chuan nodded and said, "You've already thought of the possibility that someone might be seriously injured afterward. Not only did Doctor Deng come, but he also brought prepared pills, which shows you're quite thorough. I'm just wondering, why did you listen to Old Zheng when you didn't want Doctor Deng to make the 'Revitalizing Pills'? He knows a bit about the dead, but about the living..."

Gao Yuntian hurriedly said, "Don't underestimate Old Zheng. Even Doctor Deng said that Old Zheng is studying how to kill, and sometimes he is even more amazing than Doctor Deng who only knows how to treat. He said that Old Zheng needs to know how to treat before he can know how to die."

Jia Chuan snorted and said, "How come I didn't know he had any time for research?"

Wu Bing said, "In the end, I underestimated the abilities of those three people in the village. If we had acted according to our pre-arranged plan, I'm afraid none of us would have been able to escape unscathed."

Gao Yuntian asked, "How do you know we..."

"Chen Mo didn't come today."

"You're already suspicious just because of that?" Gao Yuntian asked in surprise.

“Chen Mo knows I’ll be thinking about you, so he comes every day without fail. And Liu Mian is in the house. Unless it’s something very important, he has no reason not to come over every day as usual. But what important thing could you possibly have to do?”

Wu Bing lowered his head and said, "It's good that you found out. Otherwise, if we had waited until dark to make our move, we wouldn't have been able to find the two girls in time, and the Prince of Han would have arrived with his men. Not to mention escaping... even if we were spared, we would have used our lives to blackmail you. I'm afraid I would have regretted it to death."

Jia Chuan frowned and asked, "You've considered everything very thoroughly, so why did you choose to take action after dark?"

Gao Yuntian interjected, "This really isn't Brother Wu's idea. It's... it's that Duoduo wants more time. She figured that if they were really taken to the manor, after she and Yuanyuan escaped, they might have a chance to secretly search for them..."

"Huh?" Jia Chuan asked, puzzled.

(End of this chapter)