Chapter 49: The Horse Farm

  Everyone had their own thoughts while eating this meal.

  She would trade one person for a camp of five hundred people, she is not a politician, she is a soldier. If she were to give her own life in exchange for the lives of five hundred generals, or even just five people, she would accept without hesitation, and now, she cannot hesitate either.

  She agreed with Mr. Tu.

  As she was, it wasn't difficult to find out Ye Ting's escort route and guard situation, but this matter had to be kept secret, which added a certain degree of difficulty. Ye Ting was an excellent general, and if the Chiang regime captured him, they might not necessarily be able to use him as they wished; if he refused to cooperate, it would be hard to avoid bloodshed. If the Red Army could rescue him, at least they could keep him safe.

  Huai Jin concealed it very well, and if she were an outsider, no one would have noticed that her heart was distracted. However, Dong Zhiyu's suspicion about the recent episode had almost become certain. "The fish you picked is delicious."

  Huai Jin smiled faintly, "Silly girl, that's because the chef cooked it well."

  "Not true, only the ones you pick are delicious." Dong Zhiyu placed a delicate piece of fish belly into Huai Jin's bowl. Would she be like him, an empty shell?

  Out of the bean sprout boat, a lonely moon hung high in the night sky. On the car, following that moonlight, the night was quiet, only hearing the "humming" sound of the engine.

  With a deep frown, she hesitated for a moment before speaking, "I'm afraid I'll have to trouble you again, and make amends with Ye Mingtian. Is that alright?"

  Dong Zhiyu turned her head in surprise and looked at her. Was this for Xuan Tongsi or for Chi Kong?

  "But I promise you, I won't let him lay a finger on you again, how's that?"

  "How can you be sure?"

  "This requires your cooperation with me. I will tell him that you are a devout Catholic and cannot accept any pre-marital intimacy. You must be consistent with my words."

  "What if he proposes to me?"

  "Keep him around until it's no longer strange for others to see us together alone, but before that, when we meet, he must be our cover."

  "Huai Jin, at Yufo Temple, you told me that 'Que' might soon be exposed. What did you mean by that?"

  Huai Jin let out a light breath, "Someone has been bought by Ying Zuo Zhao and sold out a batch of Yu Pei people. Among them are not only Xuan Tong Si, but also CC's people. Moreover, the code name 'Kui' has been exposed, but they don't know who it is specifically. It can be imagined that at present, they are vigorously investigating."

  Dong Zhiyu was taken aback and hesitated for a moment, "Is the Hu Xiao you mentioned last time and that person from Huo Guo related to this matter?"

  She stared at the road ahead, "I'm not sure."

  The carriage fell silent for a moment, and the helplessness in their hearts was infinitely magnified at this moment, unable to escape under the moonlight.

  "I promise you." Dong Zhiyu turned his head to look at Huai Jin, and that pair of eyes was also as clear and gentle as the moonlight.

  After sending Dong Zhiyu back home, Huai Jin turned around and headed towards Yejinling at night. The mission was urgent, the lives of 500 soldiers were in danger, and time was not waiting.

  Because of the New Year's Eve, Nanjing was less crowded than usual tonight.

  Fu Qiu Sheng saw Huai Jin, and his hanging heart fell slightly.

  "All those on He Shuangquan's list who were not killed have been transferred."

  "Ah, it's moving quickly, so I'm at ease now."

  "Aji, there is 'Quē' on the list."

  "Not bad, I suspect they've already guessed that I'm onto them, so the 'Night Golden Ridge' line must be temporarily closed. It's too dangerous to continue. I need you to return to Yu Bei."

  "Ah Jin!"

  "Listen, Old Fu, your trip to Yu is not an escape, but a daunting task that I want to entrust you with."

  "What's the task? Just say it."

  "Hui Jun has set up an ambush to raid one of our camps, and I must get this intelligence. The condition for the exchange is Ye Ting's escort route, train number, and guard situation. This matter can only be known by you and me. I want to entrust you with going to Yu Bei tomorrow to find my foster father and figure out Ye Ting's situation. Three days later at 7 pm, you must personally send this intelligence to the person who needs it. At that time, I will also be present. As soon as you send the message, they will simultaneously give me the intelligence about the ambush."

  "May I take a guess? This must be related to exchanging intelligence with you, it's Anping."

  "That's right. This is a win-win deal. I've met Ye Feng before, he's a decent person, and it's not necessarily the case that he'll invest in us. But for now, being able to rescue one of our regiments from the enemy's hands is a good move for both parties."

  Fu Qiusheng nodded after a moment of contemplation, "I can help you send the intelligence over, but it's too dangerous for you to go in person."

  "Don't worry, I'll take care of everything. Remember, we only have three days. Once you arrive in Chongqing, find my foster father immediately. Only him, no one else can know."

  "I will remember this, but how can I send a telegram at that time?"

  "Commercial band, call 'Kitchen', caller 'Fish Pond', the cipher book for telegrams I just put in my wine box where I hide my liquor."

  "Got it. Ah Jin, you must be careful, the Xuan Hu line is heavily damaged, if 'Quē' has another accident, the party and country really can't afford it, when necessary, use 'Gē', don't forget her mission here."

  Huaijin's eyes dimmed, "I will be careful and wait for the storm to pass, I'll wait for your triumphant return."

  At this time, in a train compartment heading north, Takemoto was savoring the local snacks of Yan State with Hu Jiao. Of course, there's the roast duck, but also some street food that's been passed down through alleys and streets: donkey rolling, stir-fried liver, pea shoots, bean juice... Not only do these foods make your mouth water, but even the way they're pronounced is sounds so delightful. Takemoto tried his best to mimic each word, but the subtle tones at the end of each phrase were hard to grasp. When Hu Jiao said them, it was as if he was floating on air, and when Takemoto tried to imitate him, his tongue got tangled up and he couldn't get the flavor out, causing the passengers nearby to burst into laughter.

  "Hey, Takanashi-kun, aren't you just going to Yanzhou for the snacks?" Hu Xiao lowered his voice and asked with a smile.

  Yamamoto burst out laughing, as if this was a very interesting question. After a while, "Hu Sang, I'm interested in the snacks of Yan State, and there's a horse farm in the western suburbs of Yan State that I'm also interested in. It's said that it used to produce fine horses for your royal family. The original owner of that horse farm, I'm even more interested."

  The author has something to say: One year one leaf one knows spring, I really want to hold back the fleeting time.

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