Perfect Encounter - Chapter 104.2

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Chapter 104.2

After Meng Yunshan’s death, Meng Jiayue was devastated. But thanks to Yao Kun’s companionship, she could pull herself together. After Yao Kun caught the murderer, he negotiated with the South Qin to bring peace between the two countries. Meng Jiayue and Yao Kun got along with and helped each other. They finally confessed the feelings welled up in their hearts and got married. This journey had quite a lot of ups and downs. Therefore, when she heard that he used the war as a reason to let her take her son to avoid trouble, Meng Jia Yue’s heart was extremely uncomfortable.

Yao Kun also thought of Mrs. Luo. He sighed and coaxed her: ”I was talking off the top of my head. You’re overly concerned. Don’t you know how I treat you?” He had the guilt and uneasiness in his heart, and he hoped that she would never know it throughout her life.

The husband and wife each had their thoughts and sighed in secret.

An Ruochen’s end was very different from Yao Kun’s. She was in a different mood. She received a letter from Big Long. The letter said that he was shocked to hear that Mr. Huo had passed away, that he had a lot of questions to be investigated and was concerned about the situation on the front line, and because he didn’t know when they would be able to meet, he asked An Ruochen to come with Cao Yihan to the Sixia River.

An Ruochen was overjoyed. General, ah, General, really lives up to the trust in her heart. He understands the meaning of her letter, or maybe his idea was originally the same as hers. In any case, she could justifiably bring Cao Yihan to meet him.

An Ruochen happily circled around and then sat down to consider carefully. Mr. Huo’s funeral is still in progress. Could Cao Yihan be obsessed with this matter? The Governor will have his calculations. She has to think of a good speech.

Yao Kun also received a letter from Big Long. The letter talked about the situation at the front line, and the content was similar to An Ruochen’s letter, except that one was in the tone of outsiders, and the other – insiders. If Yao Kun received the letter a day earlier, he would have felt that Cao Yihan should not leave. He kept him down for a reason, so how could he just let the bargaining chip in his hand go? But now, Yao Kun’s thoughts were different.

Yao Kun instructed Meng Jiayue to prepare a traveling bag for Cao Yihan and to send him to see General Long at the Sixia River military camp.

Meng Jiayue was surprised, and Yao Kun said, “General Long has opened his mouth, so it’s not good to reject.”

“You’re not discussing it with the other officials?”

“It’s not an urgent matter. General Long is concerned about Mr. Huo’s death and wants to ask Mr. Cao face-to-face. After asking, everything will be fine. What else do we need to discuss?”

Meng Jiayue was silent. She was worried that Yao Kun had been under too much pressure lately, causing his mood to go down.

Yao Kun called An Ruochen, and the latter was stunned to hear what Yao Kun said. She had prepared half a day’s defense for nothing. She didn’t need to persuade him at all, and Yao Kun asked her to go with Cao Yihan instead. Yao Kun even helped them to think: “Let’s perform the ritual on the 7th day of the first month. After performing the ritual, we will cremate the body the next day. The ashes will be placed in my place first, and my wife will ask the monks to continue the ceremony. As such, it means Mr. Cao will return, and you will be safer on the road.”

An Ruochen was practically impressed by Yao Kun. Had the Lord Governor been possessed? Has he lost his avoiding-trouble style?

An Ruochen’s skepticism was back, and she asked, “My Lord, is there any progress in Tang Xuan’s case?”

“No useful news yet. You meet the General first. I will continue to look into it.” Yao Kun replied as if nothing had happened, and An Ruochen finally relaxed her heart. At this moment, being able to meet the General was the most important thing. She had too many words to say to him.

Cao Yihan, however, was a bit resistant: ”Mr. Huo stayed in Great Xiao during his lifetime, living like a hostage. Now that he is dead, his ashes are still being held like a hostage.”

Yao Kun didn’t say anything. An Ruochen was also saddened by what she heard. But she felt that Yao Kun had a point. If Mr. Huo’s ashes stay here, the spies won’t care too much about Cao Yihan’s departure.

Cao Yihan and An Ruochen went on their way. Jiang Song led the escort and they had a safe journey. The carriage traveled slowly, and it took them two days and two nights to reach the Sixia River. Cao Yihan was silent and depressed all the way. An Ruochen was affected by it and felt very uneasy.

When they were about to arrive at the Sixia River, Cao Yihan suddenly whispered to An Ruochen, “If something happens to me or I can’t come back, can you help me keep Mr. Huo’s ashes? If I don’t die, I will come back for him. If I die, can I trouble you to send him back?”

An Ruochen nodded her head vigorously. Cao Yihan told her an address, saying it was where Huo Mingshan wanted to be buried. An Ruochen took note of it.

Cao Yihan had nothing more to say and stayed seething until reaching the Si Xia River.

The barracks at the Sixia River were much more austere than the barracks outside Zhong Lan City. But the atmosphere was tense and solemn, and the defense was more thorough. An Ruochen and Cao Yihan waited for a while before being summoned by General Long. Cao Yihan was the first one to see General Long. An Ruochen waited patiently outside. After a moment, she suddenly heard Cao Yihan shouting: “You killed Mr. Huo!” This shout was followed by a thunderous bang. Cao Yihan screamed and cursed continuously.

An Ruochen stared at the military tent in surprise. The guards outside the tent were sheathing their swords, waiting for the General’s command.

After a while, the tent door opened, and Big Long threw Cao Yihan out and said to the guards: “Tie and lock him up. Wait for me to send him back.”

Cao Yihan had blood on the corner of his mouth, obviously beaten. He was still cursing, “I won’t let you go even if I’m a ghost. I want to avenge Mr. Huo.”

Big Long ignored him and threw out another dagger, telling the guards to keep it. It was Cao Yihan’s thing. He also instructed the guards, “Search him carefully, lest he still has any murder weapon.”

An Ruochen’s eyes were sharp. She saw a blood mark on the back of Big Long’s hand, he was seemingly wounded. An Ruochen’s first reaction was to glare at Cao Yihan as hard as she could, but he didn’t even look at her, cursing and being escorted away by the guards.

Then, Big Long turned to An Ruochen. Their four eyes met, and An Ruochen raised her eyebrows.

Big Long smiled and hooked his finger at her, “You come in.”

An Ruochen went in.

Before she could speak, Big Long instructed the guards to bring a cloth to clean up the wounds on his hands. Only after it was all done and the guards retreated did An Ruochen pull over his hand to examine it.

“What Cao Yihan did just now was a fake, right?”

“You instructed me that I had to meet him. Didn’t you know this situation would happen?”

An Ruochen looked up with an innocent face, “My letter was a request for instructions.”

“Miss me?” Big Long lowered his head and asked.

“Kinda. I’m busy.” An Ruochen had a matter-of-fact tone.

Big Long pulled out a letter and handed it to her, “Look for yourself.”

An Ruochen read it. It was a letter she had written to him. To cover up her ‘request,’ she had written a lot of mushy thoughts. Now that she re-read it, the goosebumps rose again.

“Read it.”

An Ruochen glared at the General peevishly. What the hell? It’s not easy to arrive here. It’s an earnest trip. But looking at the General’s eyes, she couldn’t help but smile again. Seeing the General, her whole body was soothed. She took two steps forward and hugged him.

Big Long sighed and stretched out his arms to hold her.

“I am busy.” An Ruochen said.

“Me too.”

Big Long’s disgusted tone made An Ruochen laugh out loud. Her heart softened, and she said, “I miss you.”

“Me too.”

What does your disgusted tone mean? An Ruochen secretly pinched the General.

“General, I have major military intelligence to report.”

Big Long’s forehead rested against hers, “I assume so.”

An Ruochen said, “I found the person who wrote the note, and I also captured someone who I think is Mr. Xie. Maybe not a code name anymore, but it’s the person with this identity.”

Big Long froze and straightened up.

An Ruochen was a little proud in her heart and told Big Long about the matter in detail, one by one. Looking at Big Long’s appreciative gaze, she couldn’t be more satisfied. I’d told you it was an earnest trip. The more she talked, the more vigorously she put her suspicion of Qian Pei, Huo Mingshan’s death, Tang Xuan, and the eccentricity of the Governor.

Big Long didn’t interrupt and listened attentively. When he heard about the last matter, his expression became serious.

“General, how do I find out about Tang Xuan’s flaws? How do I prove that he is a spy?”

Big Long pondered and said, “If you return and Tang Xuan has been released, you must find a way to leave Zhonglan City.”

An Ruochen was stunned and froze.