Chapter 543: Entrust
Editor: Atlas Studios
Mu Yangling and the others lived not far from Lin’an City. Back then, the two carriages only took three days traveling at medium speed, and the messenger pigeon arrived in Mu Yangling’s hands that night.
The next day, Bai Li rushed back at full speed and arrived in less than a day and a half.
After listening to Qi Xiuyuan’s instructions, Bai Li only had one request. He wanted Zhu Liang to assist him.
Qi Xiuyuan raised his eyebrows slightly, and Bai Li explained, “Fourth Madam prepared many escape routes back then, and Zhu Liang participated the entire time. He’s the most familiar with Lin’an City. There are many people in the Yuan family, I’m afraid that I can’t bring everyone out. However, if we make use of Fourth Madam’s previous arrangements, we’d have a higher chance of success.”
Qi Xiuyuan emphasized, “Not only the Yuan family, but also the Qi family.”
It was impossible for Qi Xiuyuan to let the Qi family stay in Lin’an City and become a threat to him, so he naturally had to bring them out, even if they weren’t very important to him.
Bai Li understood. After resting for a night, he sneaked into Lin’an City the next morning.
Back then, Mu Yangling had thought of many ways to leave the Qi Residence and Lin’an City. For this, she had gotten someone to squat at the intersections of Lin’an City and record the patrol and defense situation of the entire city. Although it had taken a long time, they had ultimately managed to draw the map.
On it, the patrol routes of the imperial guards, when they arrived, when the guards changed shifts, were recorded clearly. The streets of Lin’an City were naturally also recorded.
After looking at the few plans that Mu Yangling had come up with, Bai Li directly chose one of them and improved upon it. This way, it would take them a shorter time.
They were still locked up in the palace, but because there were adult men among them, they were not placed under house arrest in the harem this time. Instead, they were in a courtyard in the corner of the palace, where five families of officials were huddled together.
Fortunately, a courtyard in the palace was equivalent to a house with five entrances outside, so there was still some space between the families.
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The Second Prince had done so to make it easier for his men to watch over him. However, to Bai Li and the others, it made it more convenient for them to sneak the people out.
There were many people in the Yuan family and even more in the Qi family there. In a few more days, neither Qi Xiuyuan nor General Yuan would be able to sneak out all of them. However, the Emperor had just ascended the throne. Not only was the Imperial Court unstable, but the harem was also unstable.
And the palace had always been the world of the women in the harem.
Before Bai Li came, he was still worried about how to get them out of the palace because this was the most difficult part. After leaving the palace, Lin’an City was very big. Even if they could not leave the city for a while, they could still hide for a period of time. However, if they could not leave the palace, everything would be in vain.
Mu Yangling had given him a hint. The deceased princes’ mothers were still in the harem.
The Second Prince had killed all his brothers, but he did not touch their mothers. In the harem, other than the Empress and the two noble concubines who had burned themselves to death in the Palace of Earthly Tranquility, the other concubines were all alive and well.
This was also a common occurrence. Even when forcing the Emperor to abdicate, it was rare for men to kill the women in the harem because men looked down on women from the bottom of their hearts.
However, in their field of expertise, women’s energy and hatred would make them incomparably powerful. Even without the opportunity given by Bai Li and the others, one day, they would be able to use their own methods to make the Second Prince suffer.
The Second Prince had just moved into the palace, and his mother had passed away a few years ago. The Second Prince’s wife had just taken over the affairs of the harem, and she wasn’t even familiar with the people living there. Furthermore, under the pressure of state affairs and the siege of the city by the army, the Second Prince obviously didn’t have the energy to focus on the harem.
Therefore, the imperial concubines who had been living there for many years easily sent Bai Li and the others to the courtyard where the generals’ families were imprisoned.
Bai Li did not fight head-on with the guards guarding the courtyard. Instead, he directly asked the palace maids who came to help them first to bring a fragrant sachet and wave it in front of each guard. Then, when they relaxed, he quietly sneaked up and knocked them out.
The people behind dragged the guards who had fainted into the courtyard, before changing into their uniforms and guarded the place.
Only then did Bai Li enter the courtyard.
Qi Feng did not expect Qi Xiuyuan to save him in such a way. His eyes widened, but he was very worked up. He almost wanted to call Madam Wu and the others over without thinking.
Bai Li hurriedly stopped the agitated him. Qi Feng glared at him and said, “Why? Is he planning to leave his mother and brothers behind?”
Bai Li sneered in his heart, but he said respectfully, “Master, you’ve misunderstood. It’s just that it’s not appropriate to make a ruckus now. It’s better to inform Madam, Second Master, and Third Master later.” Bai Li paused for a moment and said, “Moreover, this operation is a collaboration with the Yuan family, so…”
Qi Feng instantly understood that Bai Li still had to listen to the Yuan family’s commands. That’s right, how many years had Xiuyuan been in power? He definitely did not have such connections and still had to rely on the Yuan family’s help.
Qi Feng didn’t dare to have any more objections.
Satisfied, Bai Li turned around and went to the Yuan family.
Matriarch Yuan and the rest were much calmer, but they did not quite trust them. Thus, Bai Li took out General Yuan’s handwritten letter and showed it to her. He said in a low voice, “General Yuan’s men are waiting outside the palace to receive you. Matriarch only needs to take a look outside the palace to understand.”
“Then why didn’t they enter the palace?” Little Madam Shen asked.
Bai Li was silent. What should he say? Should he say that he was unwilling to show the Yuan family’s spies the Qi family’s contacts in the palace and their connection with the concubines?
He was in this line of work. If he really brought the Yuan family’s spies in, General Yuan would be able to guess the cards in Qi Xiuyuan’s hands when he went out. Bai Li would not do such a stupid thing, so everyone who entered the palace this time was the Qi family’s men.
Much more perceptive, Matriarch Yuan said with a smile, “Thank your General on our behalf. We will listen to your arrangements.”
Bai Li heaved a sigh of relief and said, “Then Old Madam, pack up. When the sky turns dark, I’ll come and pick you up.”
Matriarch Yuan nodded slightly.
But things didn’t go so smoothly.
The abnormalities in the Yuan family and the Qi family could be hidden from outsiders, but not from the other three families of officials who lived with them.
It was the time when everyone was jittery and tense. There were no palace maids in the courtyard, only their personal servants. However, no matter how big the courtyard was, there were still five families living in it. Everyone was watching with keen eyes. Although they did not see Bai Li and the others, they could sense that there was something wrong just by looking at the actions of the Yuan and Qi families.
The other three families gathered together to discuss for a moment. When the sky darkened in the evening, the three families each brought two children to where the Yuan family stayed.
Matriarch Yuan glanced at the six children and closed her eyes slightly. Sighing, she said, “I can’t make the decision on this matter, but I can help you pull strings.”
The three women, who thought that General Yuan had sent someone to save them, did not expect that it was Qi Xiuyuan’s men who had come to save them. They were stunned.
Bai Li was anxious. It would be much more risky to sneak out six more children. Moreover, the youngest of these six children was only six years old, and the oldest was only ten years old. He had to assign a lot of people to protect them.
However, if he refused to take them, they might not even be able to leave this courtyard. There was no lack of people in this world who would add insult to injury. If those three families were going to suffer, they would probably not let them have an easy time either. Bai Li did not dare to take the risk. After thinking for a while, he gritted his teeth and said, “I can take the initiative to take with me the few young masters, but the danger is too great. I can’t guarantee that they’ll definitely survive.”