Xie Ming

The old monk Yao Zuyin probed three fingers to devise a plan.

Internally, he did not hesitate to expose his own nephew Yao Luwen in order to counter the Southern Party's treacherous plot to lock down the city.

The ladder that had been set up beforehand finally came in handy.

He then addressed his disciple Huineng, instructing him to hand over the matter and send a message north.

“Neng’er, telling Lu Wen about the first two matters is enough.”

"You must not linger. Before dawn, quickly climb over the wall and leave the city."

"Go north and be sure to inform Xiao Chuan about the situation in Hangzhou."

"Tell him that the Hongguang Emperor and the Third Prince have both died and have been imprisoned."

"I will do my best to resolve the situation within the city."

"No matter what, we must not be soft-hearted or timid."

"What a golden opportunity!"

"The time to accomplish great things is now."

"Ignore us, immediately reorganize your troops, and quickly march south to Hangzhou to capture the city and take control of the situation."

The old monk Hongren spoke each word with a resounding force and unwavering determination.

He paused for a moment, then continued.

"Uh, oh, and one more thing."

"The intelligence report previously stated that Ma Shiying, a member of the Southern Party, had corresponded with Zheng Zhilong, the General of Fujian."

"Although it is not clear what kind of secret agreement or collusion exists between the two sides."

"However, given that this matter is occurring at such a critical juncture, we must be cautious."

"At the mouth of the Qiantang River, come quickly and make sure to deploy heavy troops to guard and investigate."

"Just in case something goes wrong, someone might take advantage of the situation." He took a deep breath and sighed.

"Keeping the death a secret, huh!"

“If any of his cabinet members are plotting a rebellion and want to harm Ogawa, they must have already come up with a backup plan.”

"At present, the Fujian navy is the most suspicious."

"Tell Xiaochuan to act according to the situation and to be sure to take precautions."

"Better safe than sorry!" Yao Zuyin mused.

After he finished speaking, the disciple, the novice Huineng, listened attentively with a serious expression and nodded repeatedly.

"Yes, disciple understands." Huineng accepted the order.

He gritted his teeth, clasped his hands together, and bowed deeply in solemn respect.

Still not reassured, Yao Zuyin reached out and grabbed Huineng's wrist, giving him further instructions.

"Huineng, success or failure hinges on this moment; it all depends on you alone."

"We must not allow anything to go wrong on this trip."

"Be sure to proceed with caution, find Xiao Chuan, and tell him in person."

"Do you understand the stakes involved?"

With earnest words and a heavy responsibility being relinquished, the old monk Yao Zuyin's face was solemn as he tightly grasped the hand, reluctant to part.

Seeing the situation, the disciple Huineng knew that after this parting, both sides would be committing dangerous acts, and if they were not careful, the master and disciple might be separated forever.

Gazing longingly at his master, listening to his words of advice, the young novice could not bear to part, and tears welled up in his eyes.

"Yes, Master, I understand."

“My entire family was killed by the tyrannical Emperor Chongzhen.”

"All these years, I have endured humiliation and lived a life of hardship, all for this moment."

"Master, rest assured, even if it means my death, I will definitely deliver the message to the Duke of Jingguo."

"Huineng, stay calm, you will not fail in your mission!"

The novice monk, relying on his status, spoke at a crucial point about the unspeakable secrets he had kept hidden for so many years.

I hope my master can rest assured, and I will also put in a lot more effort.

Upon hearing this, Yao Zuyin was taken aback. He hadn't expected that this child, who had been by his side for so many years, would still never forget the family feud and his own background.

At this moment, I felt no resentment, but rather a pang of heartache.

But time waits for no one.

At such a critical juncture, even the most reluctant efforts are futile.

Yao Zuyin sniffed and loosened his grip on his wrist.

"Okay, okay." "Go, go."

"After this is over, I'll stay by Xiaochuan's side, which will be a way to look after him."

Clearly, the old monk Hongren did not seem to have much hope of surviving his situation in the city.

He lived a lonely and difficult life. After developing an eye disease, he shaved his head and became a monk, rarely having any worldly entanglements.

Over the years, if there is any place in my heart that I care about or am bound to, after much thought, it is only these disciples and beloved students who take care of my daily life and guide me with their trust and affection.

Now that great changes are imminent, Yao Zuyin has long since disregarded life and death in order to fulfill his ambitions.

It's lamentable that only Huineng couldn't let go of such a heartful thing.

Therefore, in this crisis, it is of utmost importance to urgently travel north to deliver the message.

Besides this, he also harbored a selfish motive: he wanted to use this to save his disciple's life and give him a place to settle down by relying on Xiaochuan in the future.

He had good intentions; he was both a teacher and a father.

Hearing this, I realized that the young novice monk Huineng found it difficult to separate himself from his teachings.

However, given the current stalemate, at this critical juncture, he must obey his master's orders.

He then took one step back, then two steps back.

He hurried off to his errand, then hesitated as he walked away from the doorway. Turning back, tears streamed down his cheeks.

Finally, unable to bear it any longer, he bent his knees and slowly knelt down.

Silently, at the very last moment, he kowtowed three more times to his master.

Having said that, he couldn't bear to say more, and hurriedly left to go about his business.

The blind old monk was left all alone, lonely and desolate, guarding his meditation room, grieving for his separation.

I traveled a long and arduous journey, only to be unexpectedly separated from you, a lament that I was late in coming.

Then I must bid farewell to you forever, for our meeting will end on the road to the netherworld.

After the conversation, I gathered my thoughts.

The rest will follow.

Now, after leaving the fasting place in the west of the city, the young novice monk Huineng changed into ordinary clothes and covered his hoodie.

Following Master Hongren's advice, the man hurriedly sought out Yao Luwen, a member of the Imperial Guard.

After the two exchanged words, Lu Wenming understood the situation and his mind became clear.

After remembering Qiu Zhizhong, Qin Jing, and the Princess Consort, in order to get Huineng out of trouble as soon as possible, Ye Jin quickly cleared the errands and personally led the novice monk to the city defenses, heading to the northwest corner of the pass.

At this moment, they didn't care about being exposed or not; they just wanted to get rid of as many people as possible.

To ensure the success of this important matter, Yao Luwen was clearly willing to risk his life.

So, without carving much, he hurriedly began carving the hundred claw hooks along the wall before dawn.

Taking advantage of this moment, the city's defending soldiers were exhausted and their horses were weary.

The young novice monk Huineng successfully escaped from the city.

Five miles away, a fast horse was prepared, and they headed north.

At the city gate, in the corner of the watchtower, Yao Luwen watched until the little monk finally disappeared completely before letting out a long breath, turning around and hurrying off to attend to another business.

The captain's urgent message flew across the vast sea, while the Xiongnu chieftain's hunting torches illuminated Wolf Mountain.

Huineng, who had ridden his horse northward out of the city, now seemed to have broken free of his reins and was so eager to fly into Nanjing that he wished he could.

With a heart full of sincerity and a strong sense of responsibility, he was entrusted with a great mission by his master.

But who could have predicted that things would not go as planned?

Huineng galloped swiftly on his horse, and just as he realized he had escaped the jurisdiction of Hangzhou, he headed north, covering eight hundred li in a single journey.

However, they didn't go too far, only about ten miles away.

Outside the city, they unexpectedly ran into a small patrol team of city guards.

These scouts, who were sent out to assist in defense, didn't usually have much work to do, especially late at night. Only a few teams would come out to release the horses.

Unfortunately, Huineng happened to run into him.

"stop!"

Who's up ahead?

"Who has dared to come to this strategically important location in Hangzhou without authorization?"

"Hey, you! Stop right there."

"Quick, chase after them!"

(End of this chapter)